The Ultimate Ninja
by The Dark Hood
Summary: No chakra. No Kurama. Only school. And Ultimates. Now stuck in a new dimension, Naruto finds himself entangled in an intricate game between hope and despair. What role will the Uzumaki play in this destructive scheme? Only time will tell.
1. Prologue: A Ninja's Escapade

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Prologue:  
A Ninja's Escapade**

Let it be known that Naruto never considered theft to be the first crime he would ever commit in his life. If he was going down the dark path, he'd rather do something more grand than just steal some stuff. Not that Naruto wanted to commit a crime in the first place mind you. But ya know. If he was going to do it, might as well have some fun with it.

Seriously. How did he get into situations like this?

That's the question Naruto had been asking himself for the past thirty minutes as he ran through the unrecognizable hallways of the building he was in, wherever it was. He didn't know how he had gotten here. One moment he had been fighting Madara alongside Sasuke. The next, he was here.

'Maybe it's because of that weird explosion?'

And by explosion, Naruto meant what Black Zetsu had done to Madara. The guy had betrayed the resurrected Uchiha at the last second and had used him as a literal "chakra vacuum" to suck up the chakra of everyone connected to the Shinju. It was a lot of people. During the whole ordeal, Madara had swelled up like some kind of pufferfish before exploding. The resulting explosion had blinded Naruto for a few minutes. When he came to, he found that he was now in these strange hallways. But more important than that…..

He couldn't use chakra anymore.

Naruto being Naruto, he'd panicked and tried to contact Kurama and the other bijuu but to no avail. That had put him off. With no other options, the blond tried to look around. It was then that he had ran into a man in a weird uniform carrying a flashlight. At first, Naruto had been relieved. He finally found someone! But he had no chance to get a word in before the man was shouting at him to get down on the ground for trespassing and that he was a thief.

Naruto….had no idea what the man was talking about.

After the man tried to forcefully subdue him, Naruto made a break for it. The man came running after him, shouting thief the whole time. Still, even with no chakra, Naruto retained his physical prowess.

The blond was just too fast for the man in the strange uniform.

This brought Naruto to the present, where he was running aimlessly through the dark halls of this strange building. He saw weird objects in display cases, as well as statues and elaborate paintings. Some items he recognized, like poems on scrolls. But for the most part, it was all bizarre to him.

'What is this place?' he wondered as he stepped inside one of the larger rooms. He had to stop to marvel at some of the paintings. He had never considered himself much of an artist. That was Sai's thing. But even he could appreciate the beauty in art from time to time.

Surprising, right?

But his gawking soon came to a close when he noticed the man from before running into the room at top speed. Not only that, but two other men, both dressed in similar uniforms, entered the room from a different doorway.

He was surrounded.

Naruto silently cursed. 'I never should have stopped for the art!'

Art had not been kind to him today.

As the whiskered blond thought of his next move, the first guard pointed at him with sweat dripping down from his brow.

"Hold it! You're under arrest!"

"Yeah! We already called the cops!" another said. "It won't take them long to get here! You might as well give it up!"

Weighing his options, Naruto noticed a window to his right. A part of him knew that running away just made him look even more guilty, but at the same time, he had no idea what they were accusing him of in the first place!

'Stupid Madara….'

Once he was out of this mess, Naruto swore to get to the bottom of this. And to stick a kunai so far Madara's ass, the old Uchiha would never sit right again.

With this in mind, Naruto charged the two men blocking his path, breaking past them without trouble. The other one tried to tackle him but missed and hit the ground instead.

Triumphantly, Naruto leapt out through the window, smashing through the glass. It came raining down alongside the Uzumaki, whose tattered orange jacket fluttered in the night wind.

Taking in the breeze, Naruto felt victorious for a split second. Having the cool wind wash over him did wonders to calm his nerves. But of course, this didn't last for too long.

As he landed on the ground, Naruto was bombarded with unfamiliar sights to him. Tall buildings, bigger than anything back home, greenery that resembled nothing to the forests back in Konoha or anywhere in the Land of Fire. Heck, the trees here looked nothing like the ones Bee had obliterated.

And there was a grand fountain….?

Naruto gulped. He suddenly realized that this was a far bigger problem than he had first assumed...

Just _where was he_?

* * *

Jin Kirigiri was not a man who liked to be awake this late. Given his position as headmaster of Hope's Peak, however, he found his nights being cut shorter and shorter.

'Why did I ever take this job?' he thought to himself, holding back his sigh. He wanted nothing more than to take off his suit and finally lie comfortably in his soft bed. It's what he deserved after a long day at work. Running a school filled with **Ultimates** just wasn't easy. The staff also had their weird quirks that were on par with the students.

Not an easy job to put up with.

And here he was, following after Tengan who led him to one of the interrogation rooms in the police station in Tokyo. Having to drive out here, especially at this hour, hadn't left him in the best of moods.

"Just what is this about, Tengan?"

He respected the man, he really did. But he also didn't want to be involved in something pointless.

The former headmaster chuckled lightly.

"You seem annoyed. I'm guessing I must have kept you up from going home. I apologize for that."

At least he was aware of it.

"But this is something that cannot wait I'm afraid."

"What are you talking about? What are we doing here?"

A police station wasn't exactly a normal place to meet up.

"The board has caught wind of a very interesting fellow. Normally, Kizakura-kun would handle something like this. But given the circumstances, I thought it best to have you handle this matter personally."

Jin raised an eyebrow at this. Based on the context here, he gleamed that this had something to do with a new student. This only raised further questions, though. Like, why was a mere high school student being held in a police station?

Before Jin could ask his questions, though, Tengan motioned for him to enter the observation room next to the interrogation room. Stepping inside, Jin saw the teen in question through the one-way mirror, his eyes studying the blond. The boy was seated in the middle of the room with a simple table in front of him, staring blankly at the wall. What caught Jin's interest at first was the boy's getup. It was some sort of jumpsuit, with the jacket having seen better days, and open-toe sandals. He wore a mesh shirt underneath that. He also had a headband with a strange symbol on it.

All in all, it wasn't the typical style of a teenager this day and age.

Tengan chuckled. "Seems he's caught your interest, aye?"

Jin had to shake his head. "How can he not? What…..what is he wearing?"

It almost looked like some sort of cosplay or something.

"That's not the most interesting part in all of this, though."

Jin's eyes went to his colleague. "Meaning?"

"This young boy right here just broke into the Tokyo National Museum. He made the guards look like fools."

Jin had to admit….his curiosity had been piqued.

"This young teenager managed to pull that off?" But then he remembered where they were. "How was he caught? What did he steal?"

Tengan shook his head. "He stole nothing. The only possessions on his person were some weapons. Outdated ones at that."

"Such as?"

"Kunais and shurikens." Tengan looked amused. "It was almost like he was a ninja with the way he broke in. The only thing that breaks that image is the orange."

True enough. Orange just wasn't very…...stealthy. Regardless, the boy had still managed to pull off a potential heist, and all on his own. Orange or not, it was nothing to scoff at.

"He was only captured after he stopped running once he was out of the museum," Tengan explained. "Something made him freeze up. Without that miracle, the cops were certain they wouldn't have been able to get to him in time. Not just that, but it seems like the boy appeared out of thin air. No records of him exist. Not in Japan at least. The police want to widen their search radius, but that's going to take some time."

Interesting…..

Adjusting his tie, Jin said, "I understand the fascination with this boy. However…..what does this have to do with me?"

And with the board.

"The board wants the boy to come to Hope's Peak in order to study his skills."

Jin's eyes widened. "What!? But that's-!"

Tengan raised his hand. "I felt the same way as you. Especially since he was in police custody. But given that the boy didn't steal anything, the board was able to…... _persuade_ the police into turning him over to us without much trouble."

Jin was aware of the political clout the board of trustees had at their disposal. It wasn't just their control of Hope's Peak Academy that made them dangerous. It the influence they held on the country.

"But if they're willing to go this far, does this mean that….."

Jin trailed off, not daring to finish that statement.

Tengan understood him well enough. "Yes. It's for _that_ project."

The Izuru Kamukura Project. In order to create the perfect hope, Hope's Peak needed to research the talents of the **Ultimates** extensively. No shortcuts could be taken. Not if they wanted to succeed.

"What title is this boy to be given?"

Tengan merely grinned some.

Hearing what the man had to say, Jin felt like smacking his head against the wall.

"They can't be serious…..."

"It was necessary. It went a long way to make the police understand that the boy meant no harm," Tengan said, shaking his head. "Of course, we still have to explain the details to him. Given that he hasn't said a word since he got here, I don't think that's going to be an easy thing."

"So we are to bring a boy we know nothing about into the school with the other students?"

That was basically a recipe for disaster.

"He has talent. That's all we need to know."

Jin shot the old man an incredulous look.

Talent. It was all the school cared about. Jin was aware of this course. He wouldn't be headmaster if he didn't.

It didn't mean he supported the decision, though.

Regardless, it seemed like his hands were tied here. Now that the board of trustees had spoken, there was little Jin could do. If they were standing together on this issue, then not even his position as headmaster could stop the boy's admission.

That was the state of the current Hope's Peak Academy.

Tengan turned to him.

"Let's go greet him, shall we?"

* * *

Naruto's mind was still numb. How couldn't it be? He was trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened to him in the past several hours. Suddenly being in that building, finding himself in a strange new place he'd never seen, transported to this facility. No matter how much he thought about it, his mind drew a blank.

'Where…...am I?'

It was all Naruto could ask himself, over and over again.

He wasn't in the middle of the war. Not anymore. He wasn't even in the Land of Fire for that matter. Not only that, but he had no chakra.

And no Kurama.

His situation was looking rather grim, he had to admit.

Naruto didn't even care to know why he had been brought here. That could come later. Right now…..he just needed to be calm and try to find some answers. However he could.

'But how am I going to do that?'

He had no place to go, no one he knew. All he had were the clothes on him and whatever natural instincts he had developed over the years in his training.

With his mind so embroiled in these thoughts, Naruto didn't notice the two men who walked inside the room a moment later. His attention only went to them when the younger of the two sat on the other side of the table, his arms folded.

"It seems like you've been through a lot tonight, young man," the man spoke carefully, choosing his words with great care. "I can't even begin to imagine what must be going through your mind right now."

Naruto said nothing to this. He could tell that this guy had a better attitude than those other men in the strange outfits from before. At the very least, he wasn't yelling at him.

"However, there is an offer that we want to extend to you, no strings attached."

Despite himself, Naruto perked up when he heard this.

An offer? What kind of offer?

"How would you like to attend Hope's Peak Academy?"

* * *

 **I genuinely don't know if there are flashlights in the Naruto-verse. Given that they have stuff like computers and street lights, I took a guess and assumed that they did. But I could be wrong about that. Don't judge me too harshly if I am.**

 **Anyway. I wrote this on a whim since the idea had been bugging me for a while. That, and I find the lack of Naruto/Danganronpa crossover stories to be…..disturbing. So I decided to write one myself.**

 **So here it is. The prologue. Thoughts and comments would be very much appreciated.**

 **Till next time.**


	2. A New Life

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:  
A New Life**

Naruto stared out the window of the so-called "car" he was in, taking in the sights around him. He had been stuffed in another one of these "cars" before when those policemen came to arrest him, but he had been too out of it to marvel what he was seeing now.

This really was a new world.

Naruto hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but there no room for doubt now. Somehow, he ended up in a new world.

He just knew an Uchiha was to thank for this.

That wasn't all that was new to him now.

Naruto glanced to the two men sitting in the front seats. The one driving this car was the one they call headmaster of this school for **Ultimates**. Naruto still had many questions in his head about this whole turn of events, but one thing was clear.

He was going to Hope's Peak Academy.

* * *

" _Hope's Peak Academy….?" Naruto tested the name with his mouth several times, the name rolling off his tongue with ease._

 _It was also the first words he had spoken in some hours now._

 _Jin nodded, his face impassive. "Yes. That is the name of the school I represent. We…...were hoping you would join the school alongside the rest of the upcoming_ _ **Ultimates**_ _of this year."_

" _ **Ultimates**_ _?"_

 _Jin had to pause at the questioning look the blond was throwing his way. It was almost like this boy had no idea what an_ _ **Ultimate**_ _was….._

 _Tengan was the one who asked, "Have you never heard of an_ _ **Ultimate**_ _? Or of Hope's Peak Academy?"_

" _Am I supposed to?"_

 _The response was so fast, the two men had to take a few moments to recompose themselves._

 _Well. This kid had certainly been living under a rock, hadn't he? After all, there was not one teenager in this country who didn't know about Hope's Peak Academy or the students that attended the school. Anyone who managed to get into the main course was practically a celebrity. And yet, this boy in front of him didn't know anything about that. Jin had to discreetly pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming._

 _Tengan chuckled, finding more humor in the situation than Jin._

" _You're not from around here, are you?"_

 _Naruto looked at the men before him, silently going over his options. Right now, he had no idea where he was, or how he could get back home. He didn't have chakra, and Kurama was no longer inside him. As alarming as those facts were, Naruto knew the more pressing issue here was his lack of information. He needed to know more about this place, about where he was. But could these two men help him with that? Heck, would this Hope's Peak Academy help him? Or would it be a waste of time?_

 _Hmm._

 _Coming to a decision, Naruto tried to look as confident as he could._

" _I'm not from any of the big areas. I come from a…...village. Yeah, a village. Deep in the woods. We mostly keep to ourselves. Contact with the outside world is few and far-between. So you have to apologize my lack of knowledge when it comes to this stuff."_

 _He had to mentally pat himself on the back for his quick thinking there. He didn't want others knowing about his true nature. Not right now at least. Maybe never._

 _Jin didn't bother to hide his surprise. "I…..see. I have heard that such…..communities existed. I didn't think a member from one of these remote places would cause this much trouble for us, though."_

 _Naruto scratched his cheek. From what little he had been able to understand when he was being brought to this place, it seemed like the building he had appeared in was very important to the people here, culturally wise anyway. It was so important that they had guards watching the property. Strange looking guards in weird outfits, but guards nonetheless._

" _Yeah….sorry about that. I didn't mean to cause any trouble like that. It was an accident. I had no idea that place was so important."_

" _Why did you come to the city?" Tengan asked, jumping straight to the next point of interest. "Surely you must have a reason for leaving your home like this."_

 _He was here involuntarily, but Naruto couldn't say that, now could he._

" _I wanted to see more of the world. I was just…..curious."_

" _And your clothes?" Jin questioned. He was glad the boy was being cooperative with them. Things would go a lot smoother this way. "You look like you've been in a war zone."_

 _The man was more right than he realized._

" _I got through some other mishaps on my way here," Naruto said sheepishly. Or as sheepishly as he could anyway. "It seems like there's a lot more security around these parts than I realized."_

 _Jin mentally groaned at this. Had this boy been causing more problems elsewhere? If he came with them to Hope's Peak, those problems would basically become his. It just meant more work for him, and he didn't want that._

 _Once again, Tengan was more amused than Jin. Probably because he was just an advisor now, so he had no real stake in this._

" _Well, you've certainly made a name for yourself in this incident, my boy," Tengan said. "But I must ask one last question. These skills of yours. How did you get them? Did you have a teacher? Is your….village responsible for them?"_

 _Naruto had to think about how to answer this a bit more carefully than the previous questions._

" _Something like that. My village prides itself in secrecy. In order to maintain that secrecy, some people are tasked to train around those skill sets."_

 _Tengan smiled. "Like ninjas then."_

 _Naruto had to look away. "If you wish to call it that, then alright."_

 _These guys knew about ninjas? What the fuck?_

' _This world….what kind of place is this?'_

" _Why did you leave then?"_

 _Naruto shrugged. "Like I said, I wanted to see what else was out there. I didn't want to be confined to my village for the rest of my life. I want to explore and experience new things."_

 _It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either._

 _Jin studied the boy before him, trying to make sense of the mystery presented to him. It wasn't everyday that he met someone as interesting as this boy. Even with all the answers he had received, Jin wasn't convinced that he knew the full story here. The boy was definitely hiding something. What, Jin didn't know. But all his years as a detective had left him with a great insight, which he trusted._

 _Still, despite this, Jin knew he couldn't prove anything. Not with more information. And without knowing where the boy's supposed village was…._

 _He held back a sigh._

" _I think it's time for me to ask you guys some questions," Naruto said and leaned back in his seat. "I think it's only fair after everything you've asked me."_

 _Jin and Tengan shared a look with one another._

 _Fair enough._

 _Jin turned to him again._

" _What do you want to know?"_

* * *

Naruto watched as the car pulled up to a really grand-looking house in the suburbs. The house was just as big as his apartment complex back in Konoha. Maybe a little smaller. But still. Who needed this much space?

Tengan chuckled when he noticed Naruto's look. "Really big, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…no offense, old man, but I think it's a waste of space."

Tengan looked more amused now. "You're right about that. But, and I don't mean to brag, I have more money than I know what to do with. So I may have gone a bit overboard with my spending."

Naruto didn't respond and instead got out of the car with Jin and Tengan doing the same. The blond gave the odd-looking machine a sour look. It wasn't that he didn't like riding in the vehicle, it's just that he could probably run faster. Not to mention that staying seated in one place for so long like that…...it just wasn't in him. He should probably get used to it, though, if this "Hope's Peak Academy" was anything like he was told.

Yes, Naruto was going to school. But not just any school. Apparently this school was very special, so special in fact that every high school student in the country wanted to attend. It was that famous.

But what exactly made it so famous? Well, it had to do with the students that went there. They were all talented individuals specializing in one field or another, earning them the title of **Ultimate**. There were all kinds of **Ultimate** students at the school apparently. They all used their talents for the sake of "hope" of the country. This upcoming class in particular was so big that it was going to be divided into two. Naruto was going to be attending one of these two classes, or so Jin told him.

None of this particularly mattered to Naruto all that much, though. Talent, celebrities, hope, whatever. Sure, he thought it was noble what the school was doing, especially for the country of "Japan." Having the best-suited individuals on the front lines of every major job field was sure to produce nothing but positive results for the future.

The catch is: Naruto wasn't from this world.

The Uzumaki didn't want to sound like an egotistical asshole, but the dealings of this world had nothing to do with him. His main priority was to find a way home, and fast. He needed to see the Fourth Shinobi War to the end. This meant kicking Madara's resurrected ass once and for all. He couldn't do that if he was stuck here, though.

Plain and simple, the only reason Naruto took Jin on his offer of joining Hope's Peak Academy was for the benefits that came with graduation. And of the possible connections he could make here. From what Naruto could see, the best chances he had of finding someone who could help him return to his world was through this place. Until something better came around, Hope's Peak Academy was his best choice at the moment.

This was why Naruto had been given the tittle of the **Ultimate Ninja**. It was lousy as far as Naruto was concerned, but he had pretty much confirmed to them by this point that he was a ninja. Or close enough to them that he could be called one.

There was also the issue of money and housing to settle. Naruto had neither here. This explained why he was here now.

"I'm gonna be staying here?" Naruto said out loud, still shocked by the size of the house.

Tengan chuckled. "You said you're not from around here. I'm not sure how you've managed to get by up until now, but considering that we're making you stay in one place, I figured it was the least I could do."

Naruto was flattered, he really was. He would have been fine staying at the so-called dorms like most students did, but then Tengan went and offered this to him.

Jin did not approve of this decision, but Tengan had been insistent about the matter.

And so, here they were.

"This is where we part ways," Jin spoke. "My house is in the opposite direction."

And not as big.

Naruto glanced at him before turning to Tengan again. He had to wonder why he was staying with the old man, but not with the headmaster. Was there a reason for that? Or was it at random? Or maybe was it because Tengan had the bigger house?

'They did say it was to help me adjust, but….'

Naruto didn't buy that excuse. He wasn't great at reading other people like some of his friends, but he still trusted his gut above anything else. And his gut was telling him that there was something else going on here.

Jin drove off after that, promising to call Naruto first thing in the morning. The Uzumaki simply watched the car speed away, still trying to wrap his around such a machine actually existing. It wasn't just the car either. It was the whole world around him.

Everything…..was different. Roads, houses, buildings, technology. Some seemed reminiscent to the technology back in his world. But it was still a lot to swallow for him.

"Shall we go?"

Naruto followed after Tengan who led him to the house. There was a pretty long driveway that led to the property, and a big fence that kept people from entering without permission. Naruto felt that it made the place look more unwelcoming, but maybe that was the intention?

"I don't spend much time here," Tengan told him as the two stepped inside the home. There was a big living room waiting for Naruto. It was a pretty standard looking living room. The furniture looked expensive, as did the tables. But it was something that could come out of a magazine. It didn't look "personal."

Naruto had to stop himself from gawking at the giant TV, though.

"I'm usually back at the school, working long shifts or taking care of other matters," Tengan continued as he showed Naruto the other rooms in the house.

The kitchen was pretty massive too, with marble as the foundation. There was a dining room next to it. Tengan kept a study as well, which was actually the room he used the most, aside from his bedroom of course. There was a bathroom by the kitchen, which was for house guests. A laundry room stood past the kitchen. Finally, shooting off from the living room, there was a hallway that led to the bedrooms. There were three rooms in total. One was Tengan's, and the other two were unoccupied.

"You'll basically be having the whole place to yourself," Tengan concluded as he showed Naruto the room he was staying in.

"That's kinda strange, isn't it?" Naruto finally said while inspecting his new room. He was grateful for it. It was clean, and was a lot bigger than his room back in his cheap apartment in Konoha. "Aren't you supposed to be watching me?"

"Hm? Is there supposed to be a double-meaning in there somewhere?"

So this old man was sharp, huh.

"You're keeping me close to you because you don't trust me." Naruto looked at the man, the two locking gazes. "That's why you offered me a place here and instead of having me stay in the dorms like normal students do."

Tengan chuckled and clasped both hands behind his back.

"So you picked up on it. Despite seeming distracted, you've been keeping a close on everything. Not bad. Your **Ultimate Ninja** status won't disappoint the school."

Naruto did not say anything to this. He wasn't going to get sidetracked and let the man not answer his question.

Tengan picked up on this and chuckled louder. "I guess I wasn't wrong about you. Lying to you will probably do more harm than good, so I guess the truth it is."

Naruto decided to take that as a compliment.

"Despite your skills, you're not a very good liar," Tengan said. "Or rather, it's more like your eyes betray you. The headmaster noticed this as well. You weren't telling the truth back there."

Naruto opened his mouth, but Tengan quickly raised his hand. "Don't bother. I can tell that you don't mean any harm. It's the reason why I had no problems with letting you join Hope's Peak Academy despite your…..questionable background."

And by questionable, he meant practically non-existent.

Tengan continued. "But I will admit that I am quite intrigued. In you, I mean. I doubt you'd be forthcoming if I asked you now, and you'd probably vanish without a trace if I pushed you too hard. This arrangement will benefit us both greatly. It will give me plenty of time to unravel all your secrets."

Naruto didn't know what to say to this. He hadn't expected the man to be so truthful with him.

"I…..now that you've told me this, you know I'm going to be on my guard, right? Hell, I can walk out the front door right now, old man."

Tengan didn't believe this, though. "I highly doubt that. The fact that you accepted our offer to join the school shows that there's something you need there. That's why I'm sure you'll be sticking around for sometime. At the very least, until you have found whatever it is you're looking for."

Naruto had to stop himself from cursing. Was he really that easy to read? Cause this old man had him pinned down good.

"Also, here."

Those thoughts ceased when Tengan threw a familiar pouch at him.

Naruto's eyes lit up in recognition.

"This is…!"

"That's the only thing you have on you, right? Besides your clothes, I mean." Tengan tilted his head to the side. "It took us a lot to convince the station to give those back to you. But there you go."

Naruto gripped the kunai pouch tightly. It wasn't much, but other than his headband, this was all he had to remind him of his home.

It was a special treasure to him now.

Tengan watched the boy go into a more somber mood.

How very interesting.

"You should get some rest, my boy." Tengan made for the door. "After all, tomorrow is going to be a very hectic day for you."

Naruto's eyes left the pouch and went to the retreating Tengan.

Now what could that possibly mean?

* * *

Naruto learned firsthand what Tengan had meant by "hectic day" the night before. Hectic just wasn't enough, though. It was more like insane and mindblowing.

First, Naruto had been made to wear old people clothes. According to Tengan, he couldn't be walking around in his battered outfit. It would just attract too much attention. But since Naruto didn't have any other clothes on him, Tengan had lent him some of his old clothing. Since Naruto was taller and a lot more "buff," for a lack of a better word, the clothes had been painful to put on. Thankfully, the first thing on the agenda was clothes shopping. According to Tengan, Hope's Peak Academy was paying for it. Naruto had his doubts, especially since he knew nothing was truly free. With no other options, though, Naruto accepted the money, vowing to pay them back somehow.

Next was a phone. And here was where things got interesting. And by interesting, Naruto meant bizarre.

"How the hell do these things work!?"

Tengan watched with great amusement as Naruto continued to poke his new phone, on the verge of his tearing his own hair out. The blond had chosen an orange case for it, as to be expected. But other than that, he bore no love toward the little machine.

"It's usually people my age who struggle with technology these days. So seeing someone so young sharing in our pain…...it's a wonderful feeling."

Naruto would have glared at him were it not for him trying to figure out the phone still. This was almost like a challenge, and Uzumaki Naruto never backed down from a challenge!

But that wasn't all that Naruto had to deal with today. Jin had called earlier and informed him of his placement. Hope's Peak Academy was fast when it came to securing talent. Anyway, from what he had been told, he was going to be a part of the 77th class, section B. He was going to have fifteen other classmates. Compared to the Academy back in Konoha, the classes here were a bit smaller. Not that it mattered to Naruto all that much. He wasn't here to make friends. He was here to get back home. The fact that attending class wasn't mandatory was a huge plus to him. Going to classes would just slow him down.

"It seems you're about ready," Tengan said as he sipped tea from the living room.

Naruto joined him, still annoyed with the stupid phone but letting it go for now. The blond was now dressed in orange sweats and a simple white t-shirt. No matter where he was, Naruto would always love orange.

"There's still a lot of things I don't understand, old man." Naruto glanced at his phone. "Technology here is just…a lot different than my village."

Tengan waved off his concerns. "I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough. It's scary how adaptable humans can become. And if you still have more questions, I'm sure your classmates won't mind helping you out."

"So you're just gonna let me be on my own? That doesn't sound very helpful of you."

"It's the way of the world. Besides, I sincerely doubt you'd want me hanging over your shoulder. You have things to do, right?"

Now Naruto understood. The geezer was hoping to catch information on him while he didn't expect it. He had a feeling the headmaster would probably be doing the same.

'Well, I do owe them a lot. So this much shouldn't matter…...'

Probably.

He still needed to pay them back, though. Maybe he could get a job? It wouldn't be much, but it was a start.

But where could he, without previous work employment in this world, find a steady and comfortable job?

Hmm….he needed to think more on this later.

"What about my classmates?" Naruto then asked. If there was someone in his class who was talented enough to help him, then he would probably attend classes to get to know them. "Can you tell me anything about them?"

Tengan considered the question for a moment before smiling.

"I'm afraid that's something you'll have to learn on your own. They don't know anything about you, so it would be unfair if you found out about them, don't you think?"

Naruto grumbled.

Stingy old man.

What Tengan failed to mention to the blond were the online comment boards filled with information about Hope's Peak Academy and its students. Not just that, but that his name would also be on there soon enough.

But it wasn't like he was lying to the poor boy...sort of.

Hehehe.

* * *

The next several days went by faster, albeit tediously. Other than trying to get acquainted with the inner-workings of this new world, there wasn't much else for Naruto to do. Studying wasn't exactly his forte. And without shadow clones to back him up, it was a slow process. Thankfully, the language was the same here as it was back in his world. Having to learn a whole new language would have been…..disastrous to say the least. The only interesting part was his job-hunt. He had applied to several places during his search, only to be rejected. His search had seem almost hopeless, until he stumbled upon a little ramen shop in the downtown area. A nice old man ran the whole place, but it seemed like he was getting too old to keep doing all the work on his own.

Naruto had applied for a position on the spot.

So that was fun. He could now earn money while being surrounded by ramen. It was a dream come true for him. He could also start paying Tengan and the school the money he owed, even though the old man kept insisting it wasn't necessary. Naruto wasn't one to let his debts go unanswered, after all.

All in all, his new life here was starting to shape into something a lot different from the one back in Konoha. There was less violence, less fighting for his life, and had an overall mundane feel to it.

Naruto didn't know whether this was bad or not.

Anyhow, all of that was just the icing on the cake for what his new life was all about.

Hope's Peak Academy was the cake itself.

Naruto realized this as he stood before the massive school, his invitation letter in hand. Jin had mailed it to him a few days ago. He had brought it with him for reference.

'I'm supposed to meet at the gym….'

It was the first time he would be attending a "normal" school, so he was feeling a bit hesitant. But he couldn't let that feeling take hold. He needed to do this, for his friends back home, for himself.

Yes. That's right. This was necessary for his future.

With his resolve renewed, Naruto took his first steps toward Hope's Peak Academy.

What would the future hold for him here?

One thing was certain: things would never be the same for the blond after this.

* * *

 **Done and done.**

 **Not much else to say, but thanks for the support.**

 **Till next time.**


	3. Hello, Hope's Peak Academy

**AN: Fast? Am I fast? I'm totally fast! Yes, I am!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:  
Hello, Hope's Peak Academy**

Naruto peered down the empty hallway. He had already walked past the main hall, so now it was only a matter of finding that damn gym. Thankfully, the instructions were pretty straightforward. Still, he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Like, at all. He was on a mission here, and attracting attention would only complicate things.

'But it might be too late for that already….'

The headmaster and Tengan were already keeping their eyes on him, so it was probably a moot point by now.

'Whatever. It's not like they'll ever find out where I'm really from anyway.'

No one could know that.

Putting that aside for now, Naruto started to make his way down the hall for the gym. As he turned the corner, though, he suddenly bumped into someone. Acting fast, Naruto not only steadied himself but also made sure to grab the other person by the wrist before they went tumbling down.

'I need to be more focused on my surroundings,' Naruto thought with a shake of his head. It was here where the sound of someone crying reached his ears. Looking over to the person he had bumped into, Naruto realized that it was a girl. A very beautiful one at that. She had long, choppy, dark purple hair that was cut unevenly. She had light, greyish-purple eyes with a beauty mark under her left eye. She wore some kind of nurse outfit and had most of her left arm and right leg bandaged up.

All in all, this girl had a very peculiar appearance.

Naruto then remembered that she was crying.

"I-I'm so sorrrrrrrrryyyyyy," she apologized to him, stepping back and clutching her arms over her chest. "I-I didn't think anyone else was coming, s-so I wasn't paying attention, and…...a-and I'm sorry!"

Naruto scratched his head. This girl was…...odd, to say the least. He couldn't put his finger on it either. It was almost like…..she was expecting him to lash out at her.

Huh.

But first things first.

"You don't have to apologize so much, ya know? It's not like it's your fault. I was the one who ran into you. So it's cool, okay?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Aaaaaahhh!"

Naruto had to take a step back. "W-What? What's wrong?"

She was staring at him like he was from another planet. "I-I…..I wasn't expecting you to a-apologize…...hehehehe." She then started giggling to herself, her face bright.

Naruto…..was stumped. This girl had gone from being teary-eyed, to confused, to happy in the span of a few seconds. That was a lot of emotions right there.

She twiddled with her fingers. "Hehehe. I-I'm so happy…..."

It was Naruto's eyes that widened this time. That pose of hers…...it reminded him a lot of a certain Hyuuga friend of his back in his world. In fact, the more he looked at this girl, the more he realized that she and Hinata looked very much alike.

But he needed to perish those thoughts. This girl wasn't Hinata. Trying to compare the two would be unfair to both of them.

"U-Um….." The girl began to squirm under his gaze. "I-Is there a reason you're staring a-at me like that?" Her eyes widened again. "Aaaaaahhh! It's because I'm so unsightly, isn't it? I-I'm sorry!" She clutched her head in fear. "W-Would it make you feel better if I took my clothes off?"

What the fuck!?

"T-That's not it!" Naruto did his best to try and calm the girl down. "You don't have to do that. Seriously. I was just thinking of something is all. It's not your fault."

The girl began to calm down, putting Naruto at ease. The blond felt like he had wasted so much energy just talking to this girl. But at the same time, he didn't think of it as annoying.

Weird.

"Anyway, what are you doing out here?" Naruto looked past her toward the door behind her. It was labeled as the gym. "Are you going to the gym too?"

"Y-Yes. I'm going to the entrance ceremony for this year." She clutched her arms again. "B-But I was so nervous about going in and meeting so many new people, that I froze in fear. I haven't been able to going in even though it's almost time for the ceremony to begin…..."

Huh. So this girl was going to be a classmate of his, huh?

Naruto smiled. "I see. Well, that's where I'm going too. Looks like we're going to be classmates."

The girl looked at him. "R-Really?" She couldn't help but smile a little as well. "That's amazing! I didn't think I would be meeting another classmate so soon!"

Naruto shrugged a little. "I guess. I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Ah! M-My name is Tsumiki Mikan." She blushed a little. "I hope we can get along from now on…..."

"Yeah, likewise."

The now named Mikan seemed pleased by his words.

Well, so much for not making friends here.

Deciding to push that side for now, Naruto motioned for the door.

"Shall we?"

Mikan nodded. "Y-Yes!"

She now had more confidence to face the rest of her classmates. She only hoped that they were as nice as Naruto was.

And so, the two teens entered the gym.

* * *

The gym was decorated for a typical entrance ceremony. There was nice carpet laid out, chairs had been put up, and banners were raised. All had the Hope's Peak Academy insignia on them.

There were other teens waiting inside already. There were fourteen in total, seven guys and seven girls. They were a pretty even class then, since Naruto and Mikan made a total of sixteen students.

The other students turned to them when they entered, but then they settled to going back to their business when they saw who it was.

Naruto scratched his cheek. 'So these guys are the so-called **Ultimates** , huh…...'

They were some of the country's best, brought here together in order to polish their talents further. It was hard to imagine what kind of people they were. Then again, he was now considered an **Ultimate**. And so was Mikan now that he thought about it. And she didn't seem bad at all.

"T-There are so many new people here," Mikan whispered, twiddling with her fingers.

Naruto shrugged. "Don't worry about it. They're just like you and me. We're all on the same level, aren't we?"

Some laughter reached their ears. They turned to see a guy walking up to them. He was dressed in casual clothes, similar to Naruto. He was tall and rather skinny. He had light grey-green eyes, and sickly pale skin. His hair was shoulder-length and naturally wavy, of an unnaturally pale off-white color. It gave him a rather ghostly appearance, if Naruto was being honest.

"That's a rather optimistic thing to say," he spoke as he neared them. "But then again, that's the attitude I'd expect from an **Ultimate**."

Naruto tilted his head ever so slightly. "Thanks…...I guess?" He didn't know how to take that comment, so he brushed it off. "But it's true. We're all the same here, aren't we?"

The new guy crossed his arms. "Well, among you, I guess that'd be true. But I don't think that comment would ring true if spoken about me."

"Why?"

He sighed. He looked rather disappointed about something. "I only got in here due to luck. That's rather stupid, wouldn't you agree?"

"L-Luck?" Mikan was confused. "How does that work…...?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "Haven't you heard? Every year, Hope's Peak Academy holds a lottery out of completely ordinary students. Whoever wins gets to join the school as the **Ultimate Lucky Student**. That's basically what I am. Just lucky."

"I-Is that so?" Mikan was rather surprised about this but didn't comment further.

Naruto just took it in stride. It was rather unusual to consider something as vague as luck as a talent, but oh well. The school must have its reason for wanting to research such a skill.

"Oh, but how rude of me." He shot them a smile. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Komaeda Nagito. It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, same. I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"I-I'm Tsumiki Mikan. I-I hope we can get along…..."

The newly named Nagito smiled some more. "Mhmm. I recognize you, Tsumiki-san. You're the **Ultimate Nurse** , aren't you? Many people were discussing your achievements online. You're rather popular, aren't you?"

"E-Eh?" That seemed to throw Mikan for a loop. "T-They were? Why?"

"Everyone is rather popular online, you know." Nagito then looked down, smiling to himself. "Of course, with the exception of me."

While Mikan was freaking out about her sudden popularity, Naruto was more than happy to congratulate her.

"Congrats, Mikan. I didn't know you were so awesome."

Still, he had to wonder how someone so skittish could become a nurse of all things.

'Man, Sakura-chan would have a field day with this.'

Mikan was suddenly freaking out about something else entirely. "E-Eh? M-Mikan? M-My first name!?"

Now, Naruto was lost. "Uh. Yeah? That is your name, right?"

"A-Ah! I-It's just the first time anyone has called me by my first name before…..."

Naruto shrugged. "Oh. Okay."

He didn't see the big deal with that. He called all of his friends by their given names.

Nagito couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha. You're a strange one, Uzumaki-kun. Could it be…...are you into seducing women?"

Mikan turned bright red.

Naruto gave the boy a dull stare. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hmm. Is that so?" Nagito let the matter drop and said, "Well, I must admit something. I was able to find information on just about everyone in our class. Except you of course. I only saw your name being mentioned once or twice, but nothing concrete."

Naruto wasn't all that surprised. He had read up on this "Internet." It housed all the information people could ever need or want. It was honestly kind of scary. But of course, there was no way the Internet would have anything on him. It hadn't even been a month since he had arrived to this world.

But damn that Tengan! He hadn't bothered to tell the blond about this beforehand. He would have followed Nagito's example and looked up the others if he had known.

Whatever. Nothing he could do about it now.

"Well, that's good. If everyone knew about me, I wouldn't exactly live up to my title."

"Oh?" Nagito was genuinely intrigued now. "What is your title then?"

Naruto sighed and looked away. It still sounded silly to him, but hiding it here would probably bring more problems than it would solve. Might as well just get it over with.

"I'm the **Ultimate Ninja**."

Mikan squeaked. "N-Ninja? You're really a ninja?"

"Yep."

"I-I didn't know any existed still…..."

Naruto smirked. "Oh, we're around…..."

Sorta.

Humming, Nagito looked over Naruto's attire, noting the orange.

"That is rather…..surprising to hear."

That changed Naruto's mood completely. He grumbled. "You don't like the orange either, I'm guessing."

Nagito smiled, trying his best to look innocent. "Oh my. Looks like I've been caught."

Bastard, at least try to hide it.

"I-I think it looks great, N-N-N-Naa…..Uzumaki-san!"

Poor girl. She had tried to use his first name, but it looked like she still couldn't get there.

Still, Naruto was more than happy to accept the compliment. And so, he patted the girl on the head.

"Thanks, Mikan! I knew you could accept the awesomeness of the orange!"

Mikan giggled, fully delighted to be praised and petted like this. It was the first time anyone had been so kind to her, and it brought a great feeling to her heart.

Nagito found the whole exchange to be amusing. "Well, I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but if you need help talking to the others, I'm more than happy to lend a hand."

"The others, huh?" Naruto glanced around the gym, seeing the rest of the class minding their own business. A part of him knew that he was already messing things up. This wasn't how things were meant to go. He wasn't supposed to be friendly with these guys. His normal carefree personality won out, though. That's why he felt great bonding with new people.

"They're all pretty wild out and eccentric, but I'm sure you can win them over," Nagito said.

Well, if Nagito and Mikan were any indication, then Naruto was sure the rest of his new classmates were bound to be crazy too. It suited him just fine, though. Normal was overrated.

But before they could continue, a shout echoed throughout the gym. It was one of the girls. A very well-endowed girl at that. She had a very athletic and curvaceous body. She had tan skin, dark grey eyes, and very unkempt chestnut hair. She wore a short-sleeved white shirt with the top few buttons undone, exposing a large amount of cleavage. She also had on a red miniskirt and cream-colored loafers.

The girl seemed to be picking a fight with one of the guys. A very masculine guy at that. Seriously, the guy could give the Raikage a run for his money in terms of muscles. He had on a white tank top under a blue track tracksuit, with the jacket wide open. He had chains around his neck with a whistle hanging from the middle. And…..was a blue electric aura coming out of his eyes?

'What the heck…?' Naruto had no better reaction than that, blinking as the two suddenly began to trade blows with one another. Chairs were sent flying off, and some of the floor began to tear apart.

"W-What is this!?" a girl with dark red hair exclaimed. She had light freckles across her cheeks and had olive green eyes. She was holding a camera. She was dressed in some kind of pale green uniform, probably from her old school. "These guys are crazy!"

Nagito didn't seem fazed at all. "Oh, I guess Owari-san is as hot-blooded as I heard…."

"I-Is this the famed 'Japanese Lunchtime Rush'!?" a beautiful pale blonde shouted in excitement. She was dressed the fanciest out of all the teens here. Her blue eyes were dancing with elation as she watched her two classmates fight with one another.

"U-Um…...Miss Sonia, it isn't lunchtime yet," one of the other students informed her, pointing to the obvious. It was another guy, and he had hot pink hair, probably dyed. His teeth were pretty sharp too, reminding Naruto of that shark guy from the Akatsuki. He wore a blue jumper with several hot pink markings and a black cap to go along with it.

Another girl, this one with long multi-colored hair, beamed brightly. "Oh la-la-~ They're certainly going at it~ This building won't last for long if they go all out!"

Despite her words, she didn't seem worried at all. What a weird girl.

"Passion is certainly being shot to the roof, if I say so myself," a short round boy commented with some laughter. He was dressed in a typical chef's outfit, giving Naruto the impression that the guy was a chef as well. But who knew?

"I'm gonna get you this time!" the well-endowed girl cried out as she went in for a kick. Unfortunately for her, her opponent was more than ready for her, and counterattacked with a powerful blow to her stomach that had her skidding back across the gym.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. They weren't moving nearly fast enough for him to not see their movements. But the power behind that punch…...it was impressive to say the least.

Mikan was shaking from her spot. "Nyasaaah…...this is bad. What if they get hurt too badly? I-I have to help them!"

"Heh." The muscular student scoffed. "That punch wasn't strong enough to break bones, so don't worry about it!"

"Hehehe." The girl with multi-colored hair giggled. "So he says, but I'm sure that punch would break anyone else's bones off!"

Another short student, this one blond and in a suit, scowled. "Don't say it all carefree, dumbass."

"Your speed is passable, but it's still not good enough." The muscled student cracked his knuckles. "Your strength is severely lacking. You cannot hope to win against me like this, Owari."

"T'ch…..s-shut up." The girl struggled to stand. "I'll make sure to beat you. Mark my words!"

"Heh. I commend your spirit!"

Naruto shook his head. "Well, this is certainly something….."

He didn't think he'd find people fighting in this world. At least, fighting on this level. In all his time here, with all the people he's met, he found them to be just normal civilians. The only exception to that was perhaps Tengan.

But these two…...

Nagito crossed his arms and nodded to himself. "Yes. I expected nothing less from them. They really are **Ultimates**."

Naruto glanced at the boy but said nothing. His opinion of Nagito was…..well, he really didn't know what to think of the guy. He seemed nice, but there was a part of him that was telling him that there was more to Nagito than what he was seeing. And when it came to judging others, Naruto thought he was usually spot on.

The other blonde in the gym, this one short and kiddish in appearance, snickered. "They should have taken each other out right here and now. It would have been more exciting that way."

Naruto simply sweatdropped. Now he knew who the vicious one here was.

"Alright, kids. Break it up."

All sixteen students turned to the stage of the gym where a man now stood. He looked pretty relaxed despite the fact that part of the gym was now destroyed. He had a thin mustache and goatee and ragged blond hair with blue eyes. He wore a white tuxedo, with a green undershirt and black vest top, with a blue, almost gray tie. He also wore a white hat.

"This is no time to be fighting. It's supposed to be the entrance ceremony, after all."

"You're the one who decided to show up late," the guy in the dark suit said, looking pretty annoyed.

The man chuckled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I had a killer hangover. It took me longer to recover this time than usual. Not sure why."

The sixteen students all had the same thought: was this guy really their new teacher? If so, they were screwed.

"Anyway." The man made himself comfortable on the stage, sitting by the edge. "We'll be together for the next year at least, so we should get to know each other." He pointed at himself. "Many of you already this, but the name's Kizakura Koichi, and I'll be your homeroom teacher."

Naruto recognized the name. Tengan told him how this guy was the main scouter for the school. If it weren't for the fact that he had been in police custody, Naruto would have met him as well.

"So, who wants to go next? Name and title, so the others know why you're here."

"Oh! Ibuki wants to go first!" The girl with the multi-colored hair was the first one to jump at the opportunity. "Hehehe. Ibuki is Mioda Ibuki! Ibuki's tittle is the **Ultimate Musician**! Ibuki likes to rock out, so anyone willing to join Ibuki, you can!"

The beautiful blonde from earlier clapped. "Spectacular!" She noticed the others all looking at her and bowed. "Hello there! My name is Sonia Nevermind. I am the **Ultimate Princess**. It is a pleasure to finally be here."

Naruto had to do a double-take. This girl was a princess?

'I didn't think they still had those in this world…...'

It looked like he still had a long ways to go when it came to knowing the inns and outs of this new world he was in.

The guy with hot pink hair whistled and shot them a thumbs up. "Since Miss Sonia has gone, I guess it's my turn next. I'm Soda Kazuichi, and I'm the **Ultimate Mechanic**. Nice to meet you all!"

Well, he was certainly very eager, wasn't he?

The girl with short red hair stepped up next, giving a friendly if not nervous smile. "I'm Koizumi Mahiru. I'm the **Ultimate Photographer**. Let's all get along."

Naruto found her to be the most "normal" here so far. Other than that, he had no strong opinions about the girl.

"Mhmhmm. So many great things to look at here." The short round guy in the chef outfit spoke up next. "My name is Hanamura Teruteru. I'm known as the **Ultimate Cook**." He grinned. "But I'd rather if you guys called me the Ultimate Chef instead. It just sounds more…..appealing, ya know?"

This guy was just giving off a dangerous vibe, wasn't he?

"H'mph. Idiot." The kiddish blonde with twin tails sneered, her face darkening.

It was enough to make Teruteru look nervous. "U-Um…..did I hear that correctly?"

She decided to ignore him. "I'm Saionji Hiyoko. And I'm the **Ultimate Traditional Dancer**."

It looked like that was all she had to say.

'What a strange girl,' Naruto thought. But then he realized that he could say the same about most of the people here.

Including him. So maybe he shouldn't talk.

"Yo!" the well-endowed girl from before went up next. It seemed like she had recover from the devastating blow she had taken earlier. "The name's Owari Akane! Apparently I'm the **Ultimate Gymnast**! Nice to meetcha!"

"Apparently"? This girl was just…..she was the type who focused more on fighting than anything else, wasn't she? Well, it wasn't like Naruto disliked those kinds of people.

"Gahahaha!" The muscular guy let out a boisterous laugh while holding his head. "I am the **Ultimate Team Manager** , NIDAI NEKOMARU! Make sure to remember it!"

This guy was just…..loud. He reminded Naruto of Lee and Guy-sensei, especially with the fighting. Naruto had a feeling he was going to get along just nicely with him.

He forgot that he wasn't supposed to be making friends here, but let's just move on.

The next person to introduce themselves was a girl with long, silver hair, which was tied into two braids, and intense bright red eyes. She was standing off to the side of the gym, all by herself.

"My name is Pekoyama Peko. I am the **Ultimate Swordswoman**. It is nice to meet you all."

She was totally the silent and cool type. In some ways, Naruto was reminded of Neji's and Sasuke's demeanor back in the day. He just hoped she wasn't stuck up like they had been.

Right after her was the short blond in the dark suit.

"Name's Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko. I'm the **Ultimate Yakuza**."

Wow. His introduction was even less friendly than Hiyoko's.

But the announcement of his title had some of the others murmuring among themselves.

Naruto turned to Mikan. "Is there something up with this guy?"

Before the girl could answer, Nagito beat her to the punch. "Eh? You mean you don't know? That's surprising, Uzumaki-kun. Everyone in the country should know of the Kuzuryu clan."

Naruto shook his head. "Well, I don't."

Nagito hummed. "I see." He seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, but then continued. "Put simply, the Kuzuryu clan is the largest criminal syndicate in Japan. They have over 30,000 members in their group. And Kuzuryu-kun is the heir to that clan. That's why he's the **Ultimate Yakuza**."

So he was a clan heir, huh? Naruto had experience dealing with those.

One of the students that hadn't said a word up to this point was up next. He was rather short and fat, had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and rosy cheeks. He wore a rather standard attire unlike most here.

"I'm Mitarai Ryota. I'm the **Ultimate Animator**."

His introduction was brief and to the point. It made it hard for Naruto to give his opinion on the guy.

"Hahaha, I guess I should go next, huh?" Nagito waved at the others and smiled. "My name is Komaeda Nagito. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all **Ultimates** in person." He looked down. "My talent is nothing special. I'm simply lucky. That's why I'm called the **Ultimate Lucky Student**."

Hiyoko tapped her cheek. "What kind of talent is that?"

"Now, now." Koichi raised his hand and waved at the girl. "You guys can get to know each other better later. This is only for introductions, remember?"

Hiyoko huffed but said nothing else.

"U-Um." Mikan began to twiddle with her fingers as she got the courage to make her introduction next. "M-My name is Tsumiki Mikan, and I'm the **Ultimate Nurse**. I-If you get hurt, please don't hesitate to rely on me."

She was definitely a lot like Hinata alright. Soft-spoken, but also very kind. It was enough to make Naruto smile.

"Kehehe. I guess the time has come for you fools to know of my existence, hm?"

Naruto's attention went to the last male student, other than himself, who had yet to introduce himself. He was dressed in a dark school uniform, which was heavily accessorized. His entire left arm was covered in bandages, and had a his right eye was red, and he had a scar running down his left eye, similar to Kakashi. A long purple scarf was around his neck, which covered the lower part of his face. He had dark hair with pale grey streaks through it, and a poof of hair that stuck up and was curly.

He clutched his fist and raised his other hand forward.

"You may call me…...Tanaka Gundham! May you never forget it, for it is the name that will one day rule this world! My title on this plane is…...the **Ultimate Breeder**! But my true identity is the one and only Supreme Overlord of Ice! Bow before my power, fools! Fuhahahahahahahaha!"

Four hamsters suddenly shot out from his scarf, all taking position on his shoulder and cheering alongside him.

Naruto had to scratch his head, feeling even more confused than when he first met Mikan. And that was saying something.

'This guy is just…...'

He had no right words to describe him.

The others seemed to be very confused as well, except for Hiyoko who looked creeped out. And, of course, Nagito who was still smiling.

Sighing, Naruto decided to be the one to talk next.

"Yeah, well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My title is the **Ultimate Ninja**. Nice to meet you guys."

The others all took this in, with Akane giving him a once-over. She could feel it. This guy was strong. It made her want to fight him on the spot.

Koichi nodded. "Good, good. Now, for the last one." He looked over to the final girl who had been sitting down since she had arrived. She was dressed in a dark hoodie and skirt while she smashed the buttons on some handheld console. Naruto had some knowledge about those devices, referred to as video games. It was the first time he was seeing one in person, though.

The girl frowned when she got a game over, but then looked around the room when she saw the others staring at her.

"Ah." She seemed to understand. There was a slight pause. "I'm Nanami Chiaki, the **Ultimate Gamer**. Nice to meet you."

There was another pause before she turned back to her game.

She was both polite and chill at the same time. An interesting combo.

Koichi got up to his feet. "Well, that makes sixteen then. You are now part of the 77th class of Hope's Peak Academy. Accept that with pride. And make sure to let your talents blossom even more during your years at this school. With that, I'm sure you'll be able to find the hope that brought you here."

Nagito chuckled. "I agree with that."

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "No one asked what you think, weirdo."

Mikan fiddled in place. "I-I don't think insulting each other is a good thing to do…..."

"Shut it, pig face!"

"P-Pig face?" Mikan slumped down. "I-I don't have a pig face….."

Naruto patted her head some. "Don't worry about it, Mikan. You don't have a pig face. She's just trying to get to you."

Hiyoko turned her sights on him. "Huuuuh? What did you say-!?"

She was cut off by Gundham who let out a massive gasp. "You fiend! Just what kind of creature are you!?"

Naruto blinked and looked at the guy. "What? Are you talking to me?"

The breeder settled into a fighting stance. "Speak at once, before I decimate your very existence!"

Naruto had no idea what he was talking about.

Chuckling, Nagito decided to fill him in. "I think he's asking why you have those markings on your cheeks, Uzumaki-kun." He paused for a moment. "To tell you the truth, I was rather curious about them myself."

"Huh? Markings?" Naruto touched his cheeks. "Are you talking about my birthmarks?"

"Just what sort of creature birthed you!?" Gundham cried out.

Naruto gained a tic mark on his head. "Oi! Take that back! My kaa-chan was a wonderful person!"

"Foul beast…...don't get any closer!"

"Do you want me to punch you!? Cause I'll punch you!"

Sonia seemed to be enjoying the spectacle herself. "Oh my! This intense feeling of friendship…...they're such wonderful friends!"

Mahiru sweatdropped. "I…..I don't think that's what's happening right now…..."

"Hey, wait a second!" Akane jumped into the fray. "If you're going to fight, I'm joining in!"

"Ha!" Nekomaru picked his nose. "Did you not learn anything from our practice session?"

Ibuki was practically bouncing in place. "This place is so lively! If I had to write a song about it, it'd be titled, 'Sunrise at the Gym'!"

"What the hell kind of title is that!?" Kazuichi said, looking at the girl like she was crazy.

"Y-You can do it, U-Uzumaki-san!" Mikan was cheering for Naruto as the blond and Gundham were practically butting heads with one another by this point. "I-I know you can defeat him!"

Teruteru sighed happily. "Two men, pushing against one another so closely…..ah, the passion! It's magnificent!"

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms and glanced to the side. "H'mph. Idiots."

Peko had no comment, and neither did Ryota.

Chiaki merely lowered her game console for a moment before bringing it back up.

Nagito...well, he just smiled. A lot.

Koichi scratched his head under his hat as the gym practically descended into chaos, with Naruto, Gundham, and Akane leading the charge.

"Oh boy. I sure have my hands full, don't I?"

Yes, this was going to be a very interesting year indeed.

* * *

 **Welp. Naruto already broke down and started bonding with the others. But really. What else was going to happen in this scenario?**

 **Anyway, I hope I got all the characters right. They're honestly fun to write since they're so crazy.**

 **But that's all from me. Hope you enjoyed the first introductions and interactions with Naruto and the others.**

 **Till next time.**


	4. The Start of Something Hopeful

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. So, uh…..don't sue me. I'm like totally broke over here.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:  
The Start of Something Hopeful**

Koichi took a sip from the flask he carried with him at all times, not paying attention to the ongoings of the world around him. He didn't like to be awake this early, and he usually wasn't. However, since he had been assigned as a teacher this year, it seemed like his habit of sleeping in late was going to be cut short.

'Stupid responsibilities…...doesn't the school understand my drinking hobby!?'

They were short on staff at the moment, though, so it couldn't be helped he supposed.

'I gotta just continue my drinking and get up early in the mornings.'

It didn't sound too tough. He had done it today, hadn't he? True, he had been rather late. And yes, he felt like shit. But sacrifices had to be made for his booze.

With this in mind, the man settled himself comfortably on the stage, resting his back on the wooden surface. He was gonna continue fantasizing about all the alcohol he was gonna drink later were it not for Mahiru who suddenly appeared over him, both hands on her hips.

"Geeeeeeeez. What kind of teacher are you!? You know the gym was almost just destroyed, right!?"

The girl was annoyed, Koichi knew this much. But what did she expect? All **Ultimates** were crazy in some form or another. Bring them together in one place, and bam. Catastrophe was sure to happen.

Sitting up, Koichi was about to explain this to the girl but stopped when he noticed the rest of his class staring at him with a mixture of annoyance, disgust, and just impatience.

He didn't make the best first impression, did he?

"What's this? I thought you guys were fighting it out."

Nekomaru, who held Akane by the back of her shirt, grunted. "I was able to calm them down…..somehow."

Akane struggled against him. "Let me go, old man! Things were just starting to look good!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "A three-way doesn't exactly suit me right now, Akane. I just wanted to sucker punch Gundham."

The beast tamer scowled. "Y-You…...how dare you call me by such a name!?"

"Huh? Is there something wrong with calling you that?"

Gundham looked like he wanted to say something else but held himself back. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked away. "H'mph. Very well. Address me so casually if you must. Just know I'm prepared to destroy you at a moment's notice. _That_ is the power I hold. With my Four Dark Devas of Destruction! Fuhahahahahaha!"

His four hamsters came flying out from his scarf again, all cheering alongside their master.

Naruto being Naruto stepped up to the laughing breeder and looked at the hamsters with curiosity.

"Woah. You really do have hamsters living inside your scarf. That's so cool!"

Sonia was right beside her fellow blond, also mesmerized by the hamsters.

"He is right! It is incredible! And they're so cute too!"

"Urgh!" Gundham tried to step back, not used to people being so friendly with him like this. "S-Step back, you fools! Otherwise, you'll get blown away by my automatic barrier!"

"Oh my!" Sonia gasped, believing the boy. "I don't want something like that to happen!"

Naruto shook his head. "Calm down, Sonia. He's just kidding."

…..Right?

"Hey, you guys, this isn't the time for this!" Mahiru said from on top the stage. "We're supposed to be having our entrance ceremony, remember?"

Mikan twiddled with her fingers. "B-But we've already introduced ourselves. What else are we supposed to do?"

Mahiru turned to Koichi. "That's what our new teacher is supposed to tell us, right?"

The man brought his arms up in defense. "C-Calm down, Koizumi-chan-"

"Don't call me that!"

"R-Right!" Koichi coughed into his hand and put his flask away. "Well, we do have one more matter to attend to today," he told them as he stood up again. "Actually, more like two."

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "And what are they?"

He just wanted to get this done with as soon as possible.

"It's a tour of the school of course!" Koichi grinned. "I know some of you have been here before, but many of you haven't. That's why it's best if you get a feel for what your new campus looks like. You'll be here for the next three years, after all."

Assuming none of them failed the practical exams of course.

Hiyoko tapped her cheek. "Then we can start right now?"

She too wanted to leave already. She wanted to go home and eat her candy on her bed like she usually did during this time of the day.

"Not so fast." Koichi walked up to the podium on top of the stage. There, he pulled out a basket and showed it to the class. "All your names have been written on sheets of paper and put in here. One of you will come up and draw a name, and whoever you get will be your partner for today."

Koichi hadn't been the one to come up with this idea. He was originally just going to let them do whatever they wanted. But then Tengan had come up to him a few days ago and suggested this idea to him. While it was rare for the advisor to do that something like that, Koichi went with it, mostly so that he could seem sophisticated to his students.

Hiyoko huffed in annoyance. "Why do we have to pair up? I don't want to be close to any of these idiots."

Teruteru chuckled nervously. "Your appearance doesn't match your attitude at all…."

Nagito on the other hand seemed excited about the idea. "Hahaha. So wonderful. I'm sure everyone will get closer because of this activity."

Mikan glanced at Naruto who was scratching his head. She was hoping she would get paired up with him. But would he even want that? No, there's no way he would. She would probably just be a burden to him.

Koichi placed the basket by the edge of the stage as Mahiru went down to join the others.

"Well? Who wants to go first?"

"Ibuki! Ibuki gets to be first!" Once again, it was the enthusiastic girl who volunteered herself. Naruto was amused, finding her enthusiasm to be very addicting.

The girl was humming to herself as she stuck her hand in the basket. She ravaged through the sheets of paper for a few seconds, probably to build up suspense. It was just her style to do something like that.

"Ugh, just pick one already!" Hiyoko shouted, annoyed.

"Kay, kay~" Ibuki finally pulled out one paper, which was folded. Opening it up, she read the name out loud. "Nanami Chiaki." She started laughing. "Hahahaha, Ibuki's partner is Chiaki-chan!"

Said girl was too busy gaming to pay attention, making Ibuki pout. There needed to be more excitement here!

The second person to choose was Kazuichi who stepped up to the plate almost immediately.

"Stay back, all of you! I have to choose Miss Sonia!"

Naruto tilted his head. "Huh? Why? Do you have a crush on her or something?"

Let it be known that Naruto wasn't one to be very subtle about stuff like this.

Kazuichi spluttered. "W-What!? N-N-N-I mean,t-that's none of your business, man!"

Hiyoko looked away with a smug look. "Just get it over with already, you loser. Not like any girl would want to be paired up with you in the first place."

"Y-You don't have to say it like that!" Kazuichi shouted, his heart nearly broken by Hiyoko's words.

The mechanic went for the basket and quickly picked out one of the folded papers. His heart was beating fast inside his chest. Was it going to be Miss Sonia? Please let it be Miss Sonia! He needed to get closer to the girl, and this activity was just right for the job!

His hopes were shattered a moment later.

"K-Komaeda Nagito…..."

Nagito chuckled. "Oh, I see. I'm so lucky to be paired up with someone as talented as you, Soda-kun."

Kazuichi turned to Koichi with a pleading look. "Can I have a do-over!?"

"Nope~ Now move along for the next person to get their turn."

With slumped shoulders, Kazuichi walked back to the others.

The one who went third was Mahiru, since none of the others seemed very interesting in going up. Except for maybe Sonia. The name the redheaded photographer picked up was none other than…...

"Saionji Hiyoko-san."

Said girl looked at the redhead. "So I guess I'm with you then." Her face displayed some measure of annoyance. No matter who she was paired up with, it would still feel like a chore to her.

Mahiru, though, offered her a friendly smile. "Mhmm. I hope we can get along."

Hiyoko was taken back a bit by the smile but quickly recovered.

"W-Whatever."

Naruto's eyebrow rose. 'Was Hiyoko happy just now or what?'

Hard to tell with someone like her.

Sonia decided to go up next, a bounce in her step. This was the first time she was ever doing something like this. It made her heart beat with excitement! Although she was a bit wary by the looks that Soda man was giving her. She should probably stay far away from him.

The princess pulled out a name from the basket with ease and read it out loud.

"Um, let's see. It says Tsumiki Mikan."

The nurse in question squeaked. "M-Me?"

She didn't think anyone would pick out her name. Or, more like, she had been hoping Naruto would. Her dream didn't come true, though…..

Sonia quickly ran up to her. "Let's get along on this adventure, Tsumiki-san!"

Mikan nearly tripped from having the girl so close to her.

"Y-Yes! Let's do our best!"

Naruto was happy to see that the girl was getting along with the others.

Nekomaru followed afterwards, his massive hand reaching for one of the names inside the basket.

"My partner for today shall be…..KUZURYU FUYUHIKO!"

The yakuza didn't look all that pleased by this development. Then again, he hadn't looked happy once since he had gotten here.

Laughing, Nekomaru made his way over to Fuyuhiko. "Hahahaha! We shall make sure to have the best record out of everyone else here!"

Fuyuhiko twitched. "This isn't a competition, dumbass."

Nekomaru didn't look fazed at all by his comment, and instead continued to laugh.

Naruto decided to take his turn here, tired of waiting.

Nagito shot him a wave. "Good luck, Uzumaki-kun."

Mikan also cheered for him, albeit more softly and hesitantly.

"Y-You can do it, Uzumaki-san."

While he appreciated the support, all he was doing was pulling out a name from a basket. Nothing difficult about that. Naruto decided to not say anything, though, and merely accepted the encouragement.

He quickly fished for one of the papers in the basket. And the name he pulled out was none other than Pekoyama Peko.

The blond looked to where the girl was standing. She had been one of the quiet ones so far, not speaking very much. Naruto found that to be a bit lonely.

Maybe he could change that?

"Looks like it's you and me, Peko."

Peko closed her eyes. "I'd prefer if you didn't address me so casually, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto chuckled as he walked up to her. "Don't be so stiff, Peko. No reason to act like old farts here."

One of her eyebrows twitched. "Regardless, I feel as if-"

Naruto cut her off and patted her on the back. "Again, don't act so stiff. We're in the prime of our lives. Not old people."

Peko twitched again. Dealing with the Uzumaki was going to require all of her patience it seemed.

As for Naruto, he was once again forgetting about his rule to not make any friends here. By this point, there was no turning back, though. His usual friendly nature was just rooted in him. He acted without thinking about it. That's just the kind of person he was. Not only that, but the students here seemed just like the type of people he'd like to hang out with.

Fuyuhiko found the whole scene to be somewhat annoying to him. No one got that close to Peko. Almost everyone they met was scared of her. The only exception was their family. But this guy…...

'What's his deal?'

Something was definitely up with the blond, Fuyuhiko just didn't know what it was.

"H'mph. Let's see which of you fools shall serve as my unfortunate companion for this trip in the Netherworld."

Gundham walked forward and took a name from the basket. "It seems…...my companion shall be none other than the angry beast who dared to attack me earlier!"

Mahiru frowned a little. "Just…...what?"

It was all the girl could say.

Nagito decided to translate for them. "Seeing as Uzumaki-kun already has a partner, I believe he is referring to Owari-san."

"Huh? Me?" Akane placed a hand on her hips and grunted in annoyance. "You should have just said something in the first place, hamster man."

Gundham visibly recoiled at the nickname. "You fool! You dare refer to my Four Dark Devas of Destruction by such a term!" He gripped his wrist in anger. "They have the power to destroy this entire world!"

Kazuichi deadpanned. "I think you're totally overestimating the power of those hamsters of yours."

"Alright, that's enough." Koichi decided to take charge before another argument could break out. He needed them out of here ASAP so that he could take a nap. "The last two remaining are Hanamura and Mitarai. That means the two of you are together."

Teruteru flashed the animator a grin. "Let's get along, okay?"

Ryota didn't know why, but he didn't trust that grin one bit.

Koichi waved them off. "Now go. Explore the school to your heart's content. Or whatever."

Mahiru narrowed her eyes. "And you're not coming with us?"

"Why would I?"

"You're our teacher! It's your job!"

"Pfft. You brats are old enough to know right from wrong. I'm not gonna hold your hand."

This guy…...he was rather blunt, wasn't he?

"Oh, that reminds me." Koichi suddenly looked up. "After you're finished, go to the nurse's office on the first floor. There, you'll get fitted for your uniform." He shrugged a little. "If you want to wear a uniform anyway. Like classes, it's not mandatory for you to do so."

Many were pleased to hear that it wasn't mandatory, mainly Hiyoko, Kazuichi, and Nekomaru. And Teruteru too, since he rather enjoyed wearing his usual getup. It was a constant reminder of what he was here to accomplish.

And with that, the sixteen students began to file out of the gym in order to explore this new school of theirs. It was going to be a big chunk of their lives, after all.

This was shaping out to be a long day.

* * *

The groups of two had totally wandered off on their own, each interested in different parts of the school. For example, Teruteru was excited to see what the cafeteria had to offer, as did Ryota for some reason. Heck, the animator was even bouncing in excitement when Teruteru offered to cook him something.

Hiyoko was complaining about walking so much, but Mahiru was somehow able to get her to keep going. The redhead apparently wanted to see the courtyards since, according to rumors, they were pretty beautiful.

Kazuichi kept sulking that he wasn't with Sonia while Nagito tried to console him, the two vanishing down the hall.

Speaking of Sonia, Mikan had been curious about the nurse's office, so the two girls had headed off in that direction.

Naruto didn't know where Ibuki and Chiaki had gone off to, but knowing Ibuki it was definitely not going to stay quiet around here for too long.

Gundham and Akane were also a mystery, as was Nekomaru and Fuyuhiko. There was no telling what kind of trouble they could get into, but Naruto decided not to worry about it too much.

He and Peko were already at the fifth floor of the school. They had come up here because nothing else was really interesting to them on the lower levels.

'Hmm. There should also be another class joining the school this year,' Naruto thought, scratching his chin. He wondered what kind of talents they would have. Was there anyone who could help him in that class? What about the older students? He needed to get in touch with them as well, see if he could probe them about finding a way to another dimension. The thought of failure never entered Naruto's mind. There couldn't be failure.

Peko stopped in front of the dojo, which was located on this floor. The door was opened, so she was able to admire the inside of the room. It was pretty well-kept, and it had the standard training equipment she would expect from a dojo.

Naruto stopped next to her, scratching his belly.

"Man, I'm starting to get hungry. Maybe I should ask Teruteru to cook me up some ramen." The cook could probably pull off something divine if his ultimate talent was all about cooking.

Peko shook her head. "You get familiar with people really quick, don't you, Uzumaki-san?"

The blond shrugged. "I guess? I've just never bothered with etiquette and stuff like that. In my life, there was never a need for it. It was more about survival than anything else."

Peko's face took on a more somber mood. She could kind of guess some of the implications that came with his statement. "I see. I'm not sure whether I should envy you or not."

"I don't know either." Naruto walked over to one of the lockers, checking to see what was inside. He saw some arrows and a bow. Nothing his style. "But like I said back in the gym, it doesn't really matter now. We're all the same in here."

"I would have to disagree with you there," Peko replied. "Everyone walks a different path in life. Nothing can be ever truly understood because of it. The only thing we have in common is talent. It's why we were brought together to this school."

Naruto chuckled at that. "Talent, huh?"

"Did I say something funny?"

Naruto turned his attention over to one of the other lockers to see if there was anything more entertaining in there.

"No. It's just…...well, you reminded me of something funny is all."

Peko crossed her arms. "Care to share it?"

"Hm." Naruto's eyebrow rose when he found several bamboo swords, or shinai as they were known, lined neatly inside this locker. He grabbed one of them. "It's nothing big. Just that, back in my village, I was known as the dead last in my class."

Peko's curiosity was genuinely piqued. "You're not from around here?"

"Not even close, no." The blond stepped back from the locker and gave the bamboo sword some practice swings. "My village is far from here, and we're not exactly up to date with all the technological stuff you guys got going on around here. It's been troublesome trying to adjust to everything. Just when I think I got the hang of it, something else comes along to prove me wrong. It's like I'm a baby or something."

Despite herself, Peko was somewhat amused by how disgruntled the boy sounded when he said that.

"Anyway, I wasn't exactly the star child back in my school in my village," Naruto carried on. "In fact, just about everyone thought I was never going to make it as a ninja."

"What happened?"

"Simple. I proved them all wrong."

Peko's mouth thinned. "You make it sound so easy."

Naruto shook his head. "It wasn't. Some days, it felt truly hopeless. It was only worse when I saw just how skillful some of my other friends were. The gifts they had been born with…...well, it certainly put a damper on my mood. But I was able to get through it all. And I did it through effort." Naruto turned to look at the girl. "Say, Peko. What do you think? Do you think talent trumps effort? Or that effort can overcome talent?"

Peko found herself unable to answer that question. She had never once put any thought into it.

"I…...am not sure."

Naruto pointed the bamboo sword at her. "Have you practiced hard to gain the skills that now make you the **Ultimate Swordswoman**?"

"I have, yes." Peko looked down at the wooden floor. "There…...is someone I must protect, at all costs. It's the whole reason behind my existence. That is why I work hard everyday to polish my skills. To be useful to that person…..to repay what cannot be repaid. I work hard everyday for that reason alone."

Peko didn't know why she was talking about something like this. She never talked to anyone like this. But this Naruto person…...he made it so easy for her to open up and be truly honest for once.

As for Naruto, he was beginning to see that there was more to Peko than just her cool and composed nature.

She was still human.

Grinning, Naruto reached back for the locker to grab another bamboo sword.

Acting on instinct, Peko caught the bamboo sword thrown her way before she could even look up at the grinning Naruto.

"What…..is this?"

Naruto closed the locker and walked over to the center of the dojo, holding his bamboo sword over his shoulder.

"We're gonna have a practice match, you and I."

Peko frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. It's said strong people can communicate best when they trade blows. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I consider myself pretty strong. I bet you are too. I'm sure we can get to know each other a lot better through a sparring match than through words."

"Why?"

"I'm bored, and I'm sure you are too. Best way to kill time."

Of all the responses he could have given her, Peko hadn't been expecting that. She appreciated it all the same.

Peko walked over to stand in front of Naruto in the middle of the dojo, her bamboo sword at her side. She gripped it tightly.

"It's true what they say. Each weapon feels differently."

Peko was used to handling her personal sword, which she hadn't brought with her today since Fuyuhiko had forbidden her from doing so. It would make her seem more "amicable" he said.

Naruto recalled Tenten saying something like that to him once, about how each weapon was different. He really didn't get it since he wasn't much of a weapon specialist, but he could understand what Peko was trying to say.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You're fighting against a novice who's not used to handling a sword."

Amusement flashed on Peko's face. "And yet, you still ask me to spar? Me, the **Ultimate Swordswoman**?"

Naruto shrugged, grinning. "Meh. It keeps things interesting."

That, Peko could agree with at least.

And so, the two teens faced one another, their stances ready for battle. Their faces were full of determination. Neither doubted the other's skill. They could both tell that the other was a warrior, so they wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating one another.

The first clash happened in an instant.

* * *

Fuyuhiko was close to yelling at the gigantic fool who followed after him through the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. The yakuza didn't really have a goal in mind. He just wanted to be alone and see what he could find around here. Nekomaru had wanted to check out any of the training facilities in the school, but Fuyuhiko had refused. He wasn't into that sort of thing. This inevitably led to the current conundrum they were facing.

"You need to have more spirit in you, Kuzuryu. Otherwise, you'll be destined to fail!"

"T'ch. Don't start lecturing me, dumbass. I know what I need!"

Nekomaru grinned widely. "Then how about I take you under my wing? I promise to lead you to greater heights! Not only as a leader, but also as an athlete!"

Fuyuhiko's eyebrow twitched. "That makes no sense. I'm no athlete."

Nekomaru looked over Fuyuhiko's body. "It's true. You lack the appropriate muscle mass. However, that doesn't mean you can't get there with hard work. With the right diet and training regime, I'm sure you'll see yourself blossoming into an even greater athlete! I guarantee that. Otherwise, MY NAME ISN'T NIDAI NEKOMARUUUUUUUU!"

It was just like what Fuyuhiko thought. This guy was extremely loud. But another part of him, one that he didn't like to admit existed, was glad that the team manager was talking to him like this. It had been a very long time since anyone talked to him casually. People were usually afraid of him since he was the heir of the biggest yakuza gang in the country. Not that he could blame them. It just got a bit lonely after a while, though.

'Maybe…...Peko and I can finally have something here…..'

At that moment, that hope was etched into Fuyuhiko's heart. It was something else that he would never admit, though.

The pair continued up the stairs as Nekomaru tried to get Fuyuhiko to follow with his training program. He managed to hide it well, but if one looked closely, they would see a small smile on Fuyuhiko's face.

The conversation soon stopped, however, when Nekomaru heard something down the hall. The two were now on the fifth floor without being aware of it. Their back and forth had kept them more entertained than they realized.

"Hmm. This is…..."

Fuyuhiko looked at the team manager. "Something wrong?"

"You don't hear it?" Nekomaru walked closer to the noise. "It sounds like…...two people are trading blows with one another."

"Huh?" Fuyuhiko didn't hear anything. But as he followed Nekomaru, the noise began to register into his ears. Unlike Nekomaru, Fuyuhiko realized what the noise was, though. He had been hearing it for a very long time. Ever since he was a little kid in fact.

'Peko…..!'

Acting on instinct, Fuyuhiko ran full speed toward the noise.

"Hey!" Nekomaru was caught off guard by this but soon followed. He was both surprised and delighted to see that Fuyuhiko was pretty fast if he wanted to be.

The noise led the two boys to the dojo. The doors had been left wide open, so they were able to see what was going on inside. It went without saying that it surprised them both.

Naruto and Peko were fighting, after all.

* * *

Words had not been spoken between Naruto and Peko for some time now, the two looking like blurs as they continued to strike at one another throughout the dojo.

For Naruto, who never had used a sword in combat before, this was a refreshing change of pace. Since he had no true skill with it, he had to rely on his speed and agility to be able to keep up with Peko.

For Peko, who had been holding a sword all her life, this kind of fighting was right up her alley. The problem was that the blond was much too fast for her. Faster than anyone else she had ever seen. This way why she had to make due with her advanced skills with the sword to keep up. But she knew that, if the Uzumaki wasn't holding himself back from just using a sword to attack her, this sparring session would probably already be over.

But where was the fun in that? Because that's the thing: Peko _was having fun_. It was the first time she had felt this way when practicing with her swordsmanship. It wasn't that she hated it. In fact, more often than not, it calmed her down. At the same time, the only reason she took up the sword was so that she could stand alongside her young master. It was a constant reminder to her of her destiny as a tool. That's why she had never really had _fun_ when dueling with others. Not until today, that is.

The two were suddenly in front of one another in the middle of the dojo, their bamboo swords held against the other. It was amazing to see that the swords had stayed intact throughout the whole fighting session as the two were going at it pretty hard.

Naruto grinned when he saw the look on Peko's face.

"That's a nice smile you have there, Peko-chan. You look a lot better that way."

Peko felt her cheeks burn red at the compliment. But more importantly: was she really smiling? She hadn't smiled in such a long time that she had forgotten how to. But now she was?

"Oh my~ Such an intense atmosphere~ Ibuki feels like she'll be swept away~"

The two teens stopped when they heard the sing-song voice. They turned to the entrance of the dojo only to find that their whole class was there, watching them. They had been so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed anyone show up.

How embarrassing.

Stepping back, Naruto let out a sigh in order to calm down his heart and his nerves. It had been an awesome training session for him.

"I guess we'll have to call this a tie for now."

Peko had to agree, also relaxing. "Yes. But I am impressed. Even though you're a complete amateur with a sword, you are very adept at fighting."

Naruto grinned some more. " **Ultimate Ninja** here, remember?"

Peko sighed and chuckled. "Right….."

Ibuki was quick to join the two, slapping them in the back.

"Hey now! Don't be forgetting all about us, you lovebirds! Ibuki will not allow it!"

Naruto blinked. "Lovebirds?"

Nagito spoke up here, his face bright. "That was incredible you two! I was able to see your talents shine through! And even though I had my doubts about Uzumaki-kun, he proved me wrong!" He then looked down and sighed, a bitter look spreading across his face. "I'm so ashamed of myself. I should have known better than to doubt you, Uzumaki-kun. I really am the worst."

Kazuichi rolled his eyes. He was already getting sick of this guy.

"Can you just shut up please?"

Sonia's face displayed her excitement. "Ooooooooohhhh~ I too had my doubts about you being a Japanese ninja, Uzumaki-san. But you are!" She looked at Peko. "And you were wonderful as well, Pekoyama-san. Keeping up with a Japanese ninja…..it's incredible!"

Mahiru laughed awkwardly. "Umm. Sonia-san, ninjas are only from Japan, you know?"

Hiyoko huffed and looked away. "Stupid princess….."

"Let her be!" Kazuichi shouted, jumping to defend his new love. "It's just some…...culture shock! That's all!"

"I knew it! You are strong!" Akane smirked and raised her firsts. "I wanna fight you, Uzumaki! But forget the swords! Just come at me!"

Naruto chuckled. "Sorry, Akane. But maybe some other time. I need to get my measurements done for my uniform."

Akane sulked.

Mikan appeared next to Naruto, looking worried. "A-Are you alright, Uzumaki-san? You're not hurt, are you?"

Naruto patted her on the head. "I'm fine. It was just a practice session. Nothing you have to worry about, Mikan."

The girl found herself enjoying the head petting more and more. In fact, it might become addicting to her.

"You are right about that, though." Mahiru remembered what Koichi had told them. "If we want to get our uniforms, we'll have to go down to the nurse's office."

Sonia smiled. "Yes! There's a teacher waiting downstairs for us. Tsumiki-san and I already confirmed that."

"I'm quite fine with what I have on." Teruteru flashed them a grin. "It's a lot more…... _intimate_ , don't you think?"

"SOOOOOO GROOOOOSSSSSS!" Ibuki was the one who voiced what every female in the room was thinking.

"I don't need any stupid uniforms," Akane said while picking her ear. "That just sounds like a lot of trouble."

"Geez." Nekomaru crossed his arms over his massive chest. "You're quite a simple woman, aren't you?"

Naruto turned his attention to Nekomaru, remembering something important. He had finally realized it in his fighting session with Peko. He needed to keep up with his training if he was going to make sure he was going to stick around here. He personally also wanted to keep his skills. Normally, he took care of his own training, but there was nothing wrong with getting some help either.

"Yo, Nekomaru. I actually need a favor from you if you don't mind."

"Oh?" Nekomaru faced the blond. "And what might that be?"

Naruto went to the locker to put the bamboo sword back where it belonged.

"Since I'm in the city, I no longer have anyone to help me with my training. So I was wondering if you could come up with something for me. If you can."

Determination started to flash on Nekomaru's face. And did the electricity from his eyes get stronger too?

"Leave it to me! I'll make sure to give you the best training regime you have ever seen! Or else, my name ISN'T NIDAI NEKOMARRRRUUUUUU!"

Naruto was amused. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Nagito chuckled. "Yep. Everyone's hope is shining through today. It's so wonderful."

Ryota could only shake his head when he heard this. 'What a strange guy.'

"Now, let us march onward." Gundham faced the door with his four Dark Devas of Destruction striking poses all across his body. "It is time to meet our maker! Fuhahahahaha!"

Mahiru sweatdropped. "We're only getting our uniforms….."

Hiyoko sulked. "There are so many weird people around here. I hope I don't become one too…..."

Kazuichi scratched his cheek. "I think you already are one…."

The blonde dancer glared at the mechanic. "No one asked you!"

"Now, now." Mahiru kept the girl from pouncing on Kazuichi. "We should all get along here. We are going to be together from now on."

"I fully agree with that." Nagito smiled. "If we're together, I'm sure everyone's hopes will shine even stronger."

No one knew what to say to that.

Except for Naruto who walked up to the boy and patted him on the back.

"Nagito…...we're going to have to make sure you learn how to talk later."

"Oh." Nagito seemed uncertain about something. "You're even using my first name too?"

"Well, yeah. We are kinda friends now, aren't we?"

Nagito didn't seem to know how to take this. "I'm flattered by your words, Uzumaki-kun. But…."

"Sheesh, stop saying weird stuff already." Naruto shook his head before looking over to Teruteru as they all began to exit the dojo. "Teruteru! I actually have a request for you too!"

"Oh my~ You're so forward, Uzumaki-kun~"

"…what's with this strange vibe in the air….?"

Nagito watched everyone exit. He didn't understand this strange feeling in his chest…...

What could it be?

* * *

"What's your hometown like, Uzumaki-san!?"

"Erm, you're getting too close, Sonia…."

"P-Please give Uzumaki-san his space….."

Kazuichi was positively glowing with jealousy as he watched Naruto be surrounded by not only Mikan, but also Sonia. Mikan had offered to take Naruto's measurement for his uniform. The blond had taken her up on the offer, not seeing any reason to turn her down. Sonia just wanted to know more about the "Japanese ninja."

Nagito chuckled softly as he noticed Kazuichi's current demeanor.

"Uzumaki-kun certainly is popular, isn't he?"

"I don't like it," Kazuichi muttered, his jealousy growing the more he stared at the scene. "Miss Sonia should be hanging over my shoulder right about now!"

"Man, what a weird bastard you are." Fuyuhiko made for the door, having already gotten all his measurements done. He had his P.E. uniform in hand as well. Apparently those were also being handed out here, which Koichi had forgotten to mention to them. Mahiru hadn't been pleased about that, calling their teacher a "drunk old man." No one had dared argue with her. "It's only your first day, and you're already after someone."

"I can't help it!" Kazuichi glared at Naruto who was too busy answering Sonia's questions to notice. "I've always dreamed of going out with a hot blonde! And Miss Sonia is a princess! That makes it all the better!"

Fuyuhiko could only shake his head in dismay as he walked out. Before closing the door, though, he gave Naruto one final glance. He had never seen Peko express that kind of emotion before. It…..was nice to him, to see his childhood friend act like that. To not be tied down by his clan's stupid rules. For her to just be a normal girl.

This place….it really was something else.

Peko noticed Fuyuhiko's stare and furrowed her brow, not understanding what her young master was doing exactly. It confused her, but it was probably nothing serious.

Hopefully.

Naruto's words were still fresh in her mind, though. She knew she had some thinking to do tonight.

Akane frowned as she picked up one of the female P.E. uniforms. "Do we really have to wear this?"

"It seems to be for physical exercise," Ryota said, already having his in hand. "I wonder why we have those here….."

"I think it's great!" Nekomaru grinned. "It's always a good thing to train the body!"

"I just can't keep up with all of this," Hiyoko said as she looked over the P.E. uniforms on the table. She had been happy that she didn't have to wear the school uniforms. Her normal clothes suited her just fine. But this…..this was just embarrassing for her.

Mahiru blushed a little. "I-I understand what you mean. Bloomers are a bit…..risky."

"I've never heard of these things before," Naruto admitted as he walked up to them. Mikan had finished with his measurements already for his school uniform.

Sonia was by his side, also curious to check out their P.E. uniforms. "Oh my! I have never worn such clothing before! It…..does not cover much, does it?"

"Mhmmhmm." Some blood began to drip down from Teruteru's nostril. "I believe the school has made a fine….choice. Indeed~"

Hiyoko looked like she wanted to puke. "Now I really don't wanna wear these!"

Mahiru sighed. "I know how you feel, Saionji-san. But I don't think we have a choice."

Sonia clapped and smiled. "Well, I for one am looking forward to trying them out. It is all part of the experience!"

Kazuichi beamed. "I agree with you, Miss Sonia! It can't hurt!"

Mahiru rolled her eyes. It looked like she was going to have to deal with a lot of perverts around here.

"But, Naruto-chan~" Ibuki suddenly appeared over the blond's shoulder, poking him on the cheek. The girl just wanted to touch the whiskers. They looked really cute to her. "How do you not know what bloomers are? Like, all guys know what they are!"

Teruteru smiled even more. "I certainly know what they are~"

Ryota backed away from the short boy. "You might not want to publicize that too much…..."

Nobody noticed Chiaki walking out in the background. She already had everything she needed, so there was no reason for her to stick around.

Naruto shrugged. "We didn't have these where we come from. Are they special or something?"

Teruteru shook his head. "Oh, Uzumaki-kun. How you must have suffered!"

Mahiru glared at the cook. "Or maybe he just has more decency than you!"

Teruteru didn't seem bothered by her comment at all. "I assure you, mademoiselle, no one has more decency than me~"

"I-It is a little embarrassing to be wearing bloomers in front of others," Mikan said softly while poking her fingers together.

Naruto didn't get it. "Hm? Really? Is it really that embarrassing?"

"It's mega-ton embarrassing!" Ibuki exclaimed, still poking his cheek.

Naruto would just have to see for himself then…...maybe. God, why he was looking forward to that? He couldn't be becoming more like Ero-Sennin. Not a chance.

Akane scowled. "I can make do with what I got. I don't need this!"

"It's part of the school rules," Peko reminded her as she walked toward the door. "I would take one at least if I were you."

"It is strange that they would enforce something like this over the official uniforms," Sonia muttered, mostly to herself.

Kazuichi shrugged. "Eh, who cares. It is what it is."

He was just looking forward to seeing Sonia in bloomers. That would be a sight!

"Anyway, I believe this is where our day ends, correct?" Nekomaru said as he noticed Peko walking out.

"Ah!" Ibuki raised her hand. "Ibuki has a question! What classroom are we in!?"

No one had an answer for her.

Mahiru frowned. "Geez, our new 'teacher' didn't even tell us that."

Mikan turned to the teacher that had been setup here to help them with their uniforms. "I-I'm sorry, but do you know where our classroom is?"

The female teacher shook her head. "If I had to guess, I would say 1-B since you guys are section B. But I couldn't you give you a straight answer. I'm sorry."

The help was still welcomed.

"We're just gonna have to guess tomorrow then," Kazuichi said while scratching his cheek.

Sonia hummed. "Our new teacher doesn't seem very dependable…or am I wrong to say that?"

"No, you're totally right about that," Mahiru said. She didn't like how Koichi reminded her of her father. Not one bit.

Gundham shook his head. "Regardless, we shall find the answer through the fog….the only way of knowing is through actions!"

Nagito chuckled. "We'll get our answer tomorrow either way."

Naruto had nothing else to add.

* * *

Naruto noticed that, for the most part, his fellow classmates were staying in the dorms of the school. There were some exceptions, like Fuyuhiko with his clan. Peko had seemed to vanish as well, and Chiaki had somehow left without anyone noticing her.

And then there was also Sonia.

"You have your own hotel?" Naruto asked the foreign princess as the two walked toward the main gates of the school. The Uzumaki was staying with Tengan, after all.

Sonia nodded and brought her hands together. "Yes. My parents didn't think it would be too safe if I stayed in the dorms." She pouted a little here. "Even though I insisted and told them that I wanted to stay here. The whole reason I came here was to immerse myself in Japanese culture! How can I do that when I'm staying at a hotel?"

Naruto shrugged. "You can learn a lot from hotels….I think." He rarely stayed in them. The only times he did was when he was out on long missions. But even then, it wasn't to observe the people around him, or the culture for that matter.

Moving from that, Naruto felt that he could relate with Sonia in that regard. The two of them were from different places than the others here. Sonia's country was apparently very unique when compared to Japan. Or most of the world for that matter. That's why the girl got excited at the smallest of things. Well, that, and that she was also a very sheltered princess.

"It seems like this school is everything I was hoping for when I first heard of it." Sonia smiled fondly as she stretched out her arms. "For the first time, I can be around people my own age."

"With the way everyone is, I'm sure you'll have your fill of fun."

Seriously. Every single one of their classmates had their own quirks that made them crazy. Even Mahiru was looking like someone who fit with them despite how "normal" she was. Chiaki…...was just Chiaki right now.

Sonia giggled, and Naruto had to admit that it sounded rather heavenly to his ears. Was this the influence the **Ultimate Princess** had on others? How very strange.

"I look forward to getting to know you better as well, Uzumaki-san!"

Naruto sighed. "Just call me Naruto. Since I call you Sonia, I think it's fair."

That, and Uzumaki-san was just too formal for him.

"Oh, I see." Sonia flexed her arm. "I shall take you up on that offer! I give praise to thee, Naruto!"

Naruto merely laughed in response.

Yeah, this was something else for him. To be having this much fun…..it was unexpected. But it was also welcomed.

And so, this concluded the first day for section B of the 77th class of Hope's Peak Academy.

Fun and misadventures were on the horizon.

* * *

 **Apparently pairings are a hot-contested issue around here. Who knew? But anyway, I would like to say that I do have a pairing in mind for this story. Is it a harem? No. At least, right now, it isn't. I don't think I'm talented enough to pull off something like that. At least, in a convincing manner. But the thing is: many aspects of this story aren't set in stone. It's going to be a slice-of-life really. At least, until Junko starts fucking things up like she always does. Damn that despair loving goddess. That said, I could potentially change my mind about the whole harem thing. At the moment, it's only one girl, though. Who that girl is…...well, only I know.**

 **But you can guess~**

 **That's basically all I got to say this time around. Reviews are always welcomed, you scalawags.**

 **Till next time.**


	5. Physics Sucks!

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Tragic world, I know.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:  
Physics Sucks!**

Naruto awoke to the sound of the alarm on his phone going off. Groaning somewhat, he sat up on his bed and quickly grabbed the phone from his nightstand. It was the first time in a while that he was waking up this early. It was 5:00 in the morning to be exact. Not even back in Konoha did he wake up this early. Of course, back then, other than his ninja career, he really didn't have other responsibilities he needed to be on top of.

But now…...

Groaning some more, Naruto got out of bed and stretched out his arms, feeling his back muscles pop.

'I'm guessing this is what Shikamaru felt every morning…...'

In order to maintain his physical skills, Naruto had decided to get some training in the mornings. It was the only time he had opened in his schedule. It was only for the weekdays. On the weekends, he was thinking of being more lax in order to give his body some time to recover, or more precisely just goof off. Keeping to this routine was going to be tough, but Naruto was nothing if not a creature of habit. He knew it was going to be challenging at first, but after a while his body would get used to it.

Today was Tuesday, marking his second day at Hope's Peak Academy. Unlike yesterday, though, where it was only the entrance ceremony, classes started for real. The catch is that Naruto didn't technically have to attend class. While it was true that he had a lot of fun yesterday, the blond hadn't forgotten his objective for coming here in the first place.

He needed to stay focus at all costs.

Pushing that aside for now, Naruto got dressed in his running gear in order to start his morning jog. From there, he would continue with different sets of exercises he had found on some magazines the day before. It was probably nothing Nekomaru would recommend, but it suited Naruto just fine for the time being.

He only had to maintain his physical prowess, not get stronger.

Naruto quickly got started.

The morning went by quickly after that, with Naruto taking some time to study the neighborhood he now lived in. He had done some grocery shopping the night before, so he knew of certain spots now. But last night, he had been more focused on getting food than taking in the sights.

The neighborhood was nothing special really. They were just a lot of huge houses. Naruto was sure that this was the part of the city where the rich tended to live. It was kinda weird that he was now among them.

Moving on from that, Naruto arrived back in the house to find Tengan in the kitchen sipping on some morning tea.

"My, my," the old man said. "I didn't expect to find you up this early. Most kids are still asleep at this hour."

"I was just doing some morning training."

"Hmm. I see." Tengan nodded after a while. "You are the **Ultimate Ninja** , after all. I guess it only makes sense."

Naruto ignored him and stepped into the kitchen. He went for one of the cabinets where he grabbed three ramen cups, which only needed to be microwaved to be eaten.

Tengan raised an eyebrow when he saw this. "…...there was no ramen in this house two days ago."

Naruto shrugged. "I went and did some shopping when I saw that you didn't you have any ramen. Didn't you know? It's the best breakfast, lunch, and dinner you can ask for."

Tengan had to stare at the blond for a few moments to see if he was serious. When he saw the Uzumaki put one of the cups in the microwave, he realized the truth.

"….how are you not fat?"

"Apparently I have a good metabolism."

It was a combination of his Uzumaki genes and having Kurama sealed in him. Thankfully, he still had his genes.

Tengan silently cursed the injustice of it all before moving on.

"Just so you know, your uniform came in this morning. I left it in your room."

Wow. Hope's Peak Academy was fast, huh? Then again, unlike other schools which had to accommodate hundreds of students per year, Hope's Peak had to deal with way less than that. One of the perks of only having the "elite" attend.

Placing his mug down on the table, Tengan studied Naruto who was grinning from cheek-to-cheek as he ate his first ramen cup of the day.

"So. How was your entrance ceremony?"

Naruto paused for a second before inhaling all the noodles in front of him, almost like his mouth was a black hole.

"It was alright. My classmates are…..out there, but they were funny. I can't say I have any problem with any of them."

Tengan chuckled a little. "Well, yes. For some reason or another, all **Ultimates** have their quirks here and there. It's what makes them so interesting. I'd say you're just like them in that regard."

Naruto shot him a questioning look. But then he noticed Tengan staring at all the ramen he was having for breakfast, making him roll his eyes.

"Point taken."

Tengan grinned. "Anyway. I'm sure you'll find yourself fitting in with them. These next three years of your life are sure to be something else."

For a split second, a frown made its way to Naruto's face. He masked it soon enough.

'I'm not planning on sticking around for that long…..'

Today, he was going to gather more information about the other students in the school. That included those of section A from the 77th class, and upperclassmen too.

Speaking of gathering information…..

"That reminds me." Tengan pointed to the remains of the computer in the living room. "I couldn't help but notice that my computer was practically demolished. Care to explain how that came to be?"

Naruto had to look away. "It's not my fault. That thing just wouldn't cooperate with me!"

Last night, before going to bed, Naruto had attempted to look up information about the students at Hope's Peak Academy in the same way Nagito had. Unfortunately, no matter what he did, he always ended up in some different site for things he did not need. It was all because of those "ads" on there. It was just so tempting to click them. Inevitably, it's what led to his downfall, though.

Using the computer as target practice with shuriken had helped cured his madness.

Tengan felt a headache wash over him. "You do realize those things aren't cheap, right?"

"…...I'll help pay for a new one."

He was already planning on doing that anyway.

Tengan shook his head. "That's not what I was getting at. But since you were kind enough to offer, I won't say no."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched, but he didn't comment. It was his fault anyway, so there wasn't anything he could say here.

Taking one final sip from his mug, Tengan savored the taste before placing it down. He gave Naruto a wave as he walked toward the door.

"Have fun in class today. And make sure to stay out of trouble, alright?"

Naruto gave the old man a halfhearted wave back and focused more on eating his second cup of ramen, going over his plans for the day.

He already knew exactly what he was going to do today.

* * *

The sun was barely rising over the horizon when Naruto arrived at the front gates of Hope's Peak Academy. Unlike yesterday, the blond was wearing the school uniform now. Or his version of the school uniform anyway. There was no way he was wearing that stuffy blazer, so he discarded it altogether. He kept on the white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and the red tie which was tied loosely around his neck. The top button on his shirt was also not buttoned. He didn't want to be strangled to death thank you very much.

Naruto had also brought his bag with him, but he honestly didn't see any use for it.

He wasn't going to attend classes today, after all.

Facing the building, Naruto nodded to himself. 'I need to look up all the other students here. Or as many as I can. Since the Internet is out of the question, looks like I'll have to do this in person.'

It wasn't really a hassle to him. He had done this sort of stuff back in his dimension all the time. Only the people here who were used to having something like the Internet at their disposal would find something like this troublesome.

Naruto had decided to come early to see if he could scout anyone out before classes started. He didn't know if the other students actually went to their classes or not, so he needed to be as thorough as possible in his investigation.

Naruto was about to take a step inside the campus when a soft squeak reached his ears. He stopped mid-step to see Mikan's surprised face staring at him from next to the front gates. She too was dressed in the school uniform now, albeit the female one. She wore the complete set, blazer buttoned up and everything. It honestly looked very good on her.

"Mikan," Naruto said, feeling as surprised as the girl looked. "What are you doing here so early?"

The girl came out of her stupor when he spoke up. "E-Eh? Oh. I'm actually here on some urgent business…..."

"Business?"

"Y-Yes. I was tasked with looking after the nurse's office yesterday. S-So I have to take inventory to make sure that everything is in place, among other things…..."

Naruto hummed at this. It made sense. Considering the girl's talent, it only made sense that the school would let her handle the nurse's office. It would probably be her own little base during her time here, so to speak.

"I see. Do you need any help with that?" Naruto asked the question before he realized it. Once again, his good nature won out over his desire to get his investigation started. But it's alright. He had the whole day to look for other students. Helping Mikan wouldn't keep him from doing that.

Right? Right.

Mikan fiddled in place, her face red. "I-I couldn't impose something like that on you…...I-I'm sure you're busy too, Uzumaki-san. That's why you came to school early too, right?"

Although she couldn't fathom what the blond could be doing at this hour.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes studying the school building. "Na, not really. I was just going to take a look around some more is all. But I doubt many students are here at this hour anyway."

There was still more than an hour before school officially began.

Mikan sent him a questioning look before she shook it off. There was no reason for someone like her to wonder about Naruto's business. She should just be lucky he was even willing to talk to her like this. Pushing her luck would just lead down to a bad ending, which she wanted to avoid at all costs.

"T-Then, I wouldn't mind your help, Uzumaki-san…..."

Naruto nodded, unaware of the girl's thoughts. To him, Mikan was just a simple shy girl. Sure, the fact that she was willing to undress for him just like that was a bit weird, but other than that she was alright in his book.

The two walked toward the main entrance of the school in silence. On the way there, however, they spotted Gundham in one of the grand courtyards to the side. He was also decked out in the school uniform, customized with that long purple scarf of his. He had both arms in the air and was shouting about something.

Without realizing it, Naruto and Mikan marched over to him to see what all the ruckus was about. The closer they got, the clearer Gundham's voice became…...sorta.

"-dominion over this land! Let it be known all who dare to trespass shall be trampled by the Supreme Overlord of Ice! Fuhahahahaha!"

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Are you still going on about that ice stuff, Gundham?"

"Huh!?" The beast tamer was quick to turn around and spot them, his arms coming down over his face. "You fiends…...you dare set foot over my new dominion!? Has your foolishness no end!?"

"Dominion?" Naruto glanced to the fountain behind the boy to see the four hamsters from before. They were enjoying the water of the fountain from the looks of it. How cute. "Are you out here with your pets? I'm surprised."

Gundham crossed his arms and scowled. "How dare you refer to my Four Dark Devas of Destruction as mere pets? They are far greater than that! They are my companions on this hellish road! Do you understand, you fool?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess. I had a couple of friends who were friends with animals too."

Kiba and Shino came to mind. They weren't as…...bizarre as Gundham was, though. Well, Kiba wasn't. Shino had his moments of craziness too.

"H'mph. Then you should know better than to treat them as mere pets," Gundham said, clearly annoyed.

Naruto got the memo. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't think you were that close to them. But since you're carrying them around, I should have expected that."

"Carrying them?" Gundham began to laugh. "Don't mock me, fool! I am not simply carrying them! I am using my body as a vessel for their survival!" Surprisingly, his red eye began to glow. "This is my secret art! The secret art of the Tanaka Empire! Coward before me! Hahahahahahahaha!"

Naruto and even Mikan sweatdropped at the laughing boy. Raising hamsters like that…...well, only Gundham could pull off something like that. Maybe that's what the scarf was for then?

'I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. Shino was practically harvesting bugs inside his body. That's even stranger than this.'

Then again, everyone in his world had strange abilities. This world was supposed to be less abnormal than his. Hope's Peak Academy was sure changing that perspective for the blond.

"But it does make sense," Mikan spoke, more confidently this time. "A lot of animals start the day early. I'm guessing that's why he's up and about."

Gundham smirked. "H'mph. It seems the healer understands better than you, apparition."

"Apparition?" Naruto tilted his head. "What the heck does that mean?"

Gundham looked away. "It means your entire existence is a query to me. Starting with those strange markings of yours on your cheeks."

"My birthmarks?" Naruto had never really paid too much attention to them before really. "Why are you so fixated on them?"

Mikan fiddled with her fingers. "W-Well….they are really…..unique. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Your appearance is certainly…...very animalistic in nature," Gundham added, smirking a little. "I can't help but wonder if you have appeared before as my new servant."

Naruto twitched and scowled heavily. "Hell no! Uzumaki Naruto serves no one!"

Gundham's smirk grew as he looked at Naruto. "Understand this: before me, you are nothing!"

Naruto growled. "You're really looking for an ass-whooping, aren't you?"

Mikan tried to intervene. "P-Please don't, Uzumaki-san! We're all friends here, aren't we?"

Naruto stopped and turned to the nervous looking girl. With a look like that, there was only one thing Naruto could do. He patted her head. "Calm down, Mikan. I'm only trying to get this guy to stop talking crazy."

That was looking like an impossible mission now. On a side note, Mikan looked like she was in heaven right about now. Having Naruto pat her head was just amazing to her.

"I speak only the truth." Gundham's Four Dark Devas climbed back on him, their speed admirable to the blond.

Naruto let it go. It was the same way Shino spoke all monotone and quiet-like. Gundham was just like this. Trying to take offense would just be stupid on his part.

"Are you really only here to walk your hamsters?"

Gundham was quick with his answer. "No. I have a bigger appointment now."

"Appointment?"

"I have been assigned as the watchful guardian over all the many beasts that reside in this location. To tame such powerful adversaries…...truly, this is the challenge that I've been waiting for."

Naruto squinted his eyes a little, trying to make sense of what the guy was saying. It was here that Gundham finally saw it.

"You….at last, I realize it…..."

"Huh?"

"You are just like them…..like the tricksters of the underworld." Gundham gripped his wrist fiercely, his teeth clenched. "Just who do you serve!? Is it the great Inari!?"

Naruto just stared at him blankly.

Mikan pulled on Naruto's sleeve to catch his attention. "I-I think he's saying you look like a fox, Uzumaki-san…..."

It was a description she was forced to agree with. And now that she had seen it, she really wanted to pet his whiskers. But there's no way Naruto would ever allow someone like her to do something like that.

At this, Naruto grew a little somber. "A fox, huh…..."

Gundham noticed this and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling like he had said something he shouldn't have.

"H'mph. No matter. You have proven yourself to be more worthy than I first expected. Truly, you are an opponent worth facing."

Naruto's mood turned back to normal. "Uh. Yeah, sure. Thanks I guess."

With this guy, the blond didn't know what was a compliment or an insult anymore. Talking to him was exhausting, but at the same time not all so annoying either. Just weird.

Gundham turned back to the school. "I must depart for now. I have to face my new familiars today. Heh. What an exciting day this shall be. Fuhahahaha!"

Naruto and Mikan watched him go, still unsure of what he was talking about. Maybe Nagito would have understood him better? He had been a great translator yesterday. Too bad he wasn't here right now.

"Anyway, we should head for the nurse's office now," Naruto said, catching Mikan's attention.

"O-Oh, yes. We should hurry!"

Spending alone time with Naruto, having a friendly conversation with another friend…...this was a great morning for Mikan already.

* * *

The two were in the nurse's office in record time. They didn't run into anyone else on their way here, proving Naruto right. Most students wouldn't be here this early. Not unless they had some work to do like Mikan.

Or whatever Gundham was doing.

"Man, I didn't notice this yesterday, but this place is kind of dirty," Naruto said as he cleared out the shelves and cabinets alongside Mikan. The girl needed to know for sure what the nurse's office had in stock. If there was anything missing or needed replacement, she would contact the headmaster and tell him about it. That way, she could have new supplies.

"I-It does seem like only the minimal work has been put," Mikan noticed, feeling a bit down about this. "With no one being on duty everyday, I suppose it can't be helped."

"Well, at least you're here now." Naruto made sure not to panic when he pulled out some needles from one of the cabinets. God, he hated these things. "I'm sure housekeeping isn't your thing, but at least it'll be more clean than when there's no one here."

"Y-Yes!" A look of determination made its way to Mikan's face. "I'll be sure to look over everyone and keep them healthy! No one will get sick! I promise!"

Naruto was surprised to see the girl like this. He hadn't thought she had this side to her. On the other hand, her goal was a little bit...impractical.

"You don't have to do something like that, ya know. There will always be sick people. You can't help that. You just have to nurse them back to health when that happens."

"Y-Yes." Mikan giggled a little. "If you ever get sick, Uzumaki-san, don't hesitate to come to me. I'll give you a big shot! A BIG shot! A really BIG BIG shot!"

Naruto began to sweat at her words, a shiver running down his spine. "Y-Yeah, but you don't have to put it like that…...seriously."

A big needle was the stuff of nightmares. Imagining Mikan with one…..it just made him shudder.

'Good thing this place isn't a hospital…...'

The two worked in a comfortable silence for a while, with Naruto taking care of the cleaning while Mikan checked over the supplies. The blond didn't mind this as he was used to the grunt work. Besides, he couldn't just leave Mikan to do all of this by herself.

'The school sure had no problem doing that, though.'

The school here really was more hands-free like Tengan had told him. As long as the students excelled with their ultimate talents, they didn't care for what they did on an everyday basis. This kind of freedom wasn't new to Naruto, though. It's basically how he had lived his whole life. But the students here were different from him…...that's what he'd like to think. But then again, Mikan didn't seem to have any problem with taking care of this task by herself, and Gundham was off doing his own thing too.

Hmm…...

"Hey, Mikan."

The nurse squeaked in surprised, almost dropping the clipboard she was using to check over the medical supplies. "Y-Yes!?"

Naruto sweatdropped. "Why are you so surprised?"

The girl looked down. "I-I'm still not used to having my name called out like that…..."

"Eh?" Naruto had to stop what he was doing to focus on the girl. "What do you mean? It's just your name, isn't it? So what's the big deal?"

He still didn't understand that.

"Y-Yes, but no one's ever bothered to use my first name before…..a-and I've always had nicknames…."

"What kind of nicknames?"

"I-I've been called Ditz, Ratchet, Cunt rag….and t-there was even one who said I reminded her of a Birdbrain!"

Mikan looked happy about the last one, something that made Naruto frown. He was beginning to understand the nurse a little bit better now.

"Mikan…...have you been bullied before?"

"U-Um." Mikan brought her hands up to her chest, her face confused. "Why do y-you ask something like that?"

Naruto shook his head. "All those names…..they aren't the kind of thing you would call a friend."

"Friends…...?" Mikan repeated the word, but to her it was almost alien. "I-I've always had friends…...they would always strip me down, write on me…...a-and even have me pay for their food! T-That's what friends do! I-It's not like I was ignored…..."

She trailed off, but Naruto had heard enough. "Just because you weren't ignored, it doesn't mean they actually cared about you, Mikan."

She looked at him. "B-But being ignored is the worst possible thing that can ever happen! Because then…...no one cares about me at all."

This girl…..she was wrong on so many levels.

"That's not it, Mikan. It's true that being ignored sucks, but when the only attention you get is a negative one it's not a good thing either. You need to find people around you who care about you for you, not who only use you for their amusement."

Mikan fiddled with the clipboard, her head swirling. This was taking a turn she had not been expecting at all.

"I…..p-people have always called me weird for my talent…..t-that's why…"

She began to tear up, which made Naruto panic.

"W-Wait! You don't have to start crying!" He went up to the girl to try and calm her down. "It's my bad! I shouldn't have said anything!"

Mikan shook her head and tried to fight back her tears. "I-It's not your fault, Uzumaki….I-I'm sorry for causing you trouble! You can draw on my body if you'd like!"

"I'm not-…..." Naruto stopped himself and sighed. He had to make this girl understand what he was trying to say. "Mikan…I don't want to do anything like that to you. What people did in the past….it's wrong. I just want to hang out with you normally. Not as my punching bag or anything."

Mikan looked at him through her teary eyes. "B-But…..does that mean you don't like me, Uzumaki-san…?"

"No, it means that I treat you normally." Naruto closed his eyes and came to a decision. "To tell you the truth, there was a time when people ignored me too. Everyone feared me, and it made me angry. So I can understand what you're feeling to an extent." Naruto reopened his eyes patted her on the head, causing for Mikan to feel all nice and warm again. It made her fears go away. "But regardless of that, even if you don't want to be alone, you have to find people who see you for you. Don't let others take advantage of you. Besides, your talent isn't weird. I think it's pretty amazing."

Mikan stared at him in bewilderment. "R-Really…...?" No one had told her that before. Everyone always looked at her funny, saying her habits were weird. Her obsession always managed to creep out those around her. No one understood why she obsessed so much over their well-being, or anything medical related. That's why she didn't want to be ignored. It was better to be bullied than to be ignored. And yet, Naruto was telling her that it didn't have to be that way. She could have normal friends who treated her just for being her.

It felt…...great, if not strange.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. I think you're pretty awesome. I really like girls like you!"

As usual, Naruto said whatever came to mind without giving it much thought. It was just the kind of person he was. That's why he was startled when he saw Mikan turn bright red before she started to really panic.

"W-W-W-W-What!? I-I-I-I mean…...h-huh!?" Mikan's mind was officially into overdrive. "I-I-I-I…!"

"Oi, Mikan!" Naruto tried to calm her down again, only this time Mikan was too far gone in her own world to pay any attention to him. There was always a part of Mikan that was raunchier than she'd like to admit. Most of it could be attributed to the life she had growing up. Still, there was no denying that it was there.

So when Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down, the girl panicked. Somehow, she defied all common sense and _tripped_ on her own two feet even though she was standing still. Naruto would never understand how Mikan managed to pull off such a feat.

He would also never forget getting a free shot of Mikan's panties that day.

* * *

Naruto would never consider himself a pervert. Despite having a master like Jiraiya, the blond was sure he hadn't inherited the man's more dubious nature.

That's what he liked to tell himself anyway.

But he was still a guy, so there was no way he could deny enjoying Mikan's "unfortunate" accident in the nurse's office earlier, even if the rational part of his brain was telling him that it was wrong. When did he ever listen to that side, though?

Things had gotten a bit awkward after that, with Mikan not able to look at him in the eye for the rest of the morning. Naruto still didn't know what he had said to trigger her like that. But oh well. He had helped her get things in order in the nurse's office, the two splitting off after that. Mikan had gone off to their supposed classroom with Naruto telling her that he would catch up later.

He had a mission to start.

The main problem here was that he didn't know where to begin. Classes were already underway. He couldn't just waltz into a classroom either. That wouldn't work. Because of this, he was left to search the rooms that weren't classrooms.

The pool, locker rooms, and the library were all a dead end. That's why the Uzumaki headed for the third floor next. He had mostly skipped these floors the day before since nothing really caught his eye here. This still held up true today…...for the most part. There was one exception, though: the physics lab.

Naruto stuck his head through the fancy looking door, his eyes scanning the room. It was filled with a bunch of ornate machines. He had no idea what they were for, or what this room was even used for in general. The biggest machine was the one in the very center of the room. It was huge, and it had a very big glass globe with tubes sticking out.

'Now I remember why I didn't go inside this place…...'

It was creepy as hell. Thankfully, Peko hadn't been interested at all either.

Scratching his head, Naruto sighed. 'Well, whatever. It doesn't look like there's anything for me either.'

He was about to walk off until the sound of steps down the hall reached his ears. He turned toward them and saw a student making his way for the physics lab. The boy was dressed sloppily. Like Naruto, he wore his white dress shirt of the school uniform with no blazer and a black tie, with only one sleeve rolled up. Unlike Naruto, the boy's dress shirt was sloppy and half-tucked. Instead of the school shoes, he had a pair of bathroom slippers on and black trousers. His dark hair was a mess, and his eyes had heavy bangs under them, probably due to a lack of sleep. All in all, the guy most definitely stood out.

"Hm?" He paused when he noticed Naruto standing by the door. His face was mostly apathetic, but Naruto could sense that he was being sized up right about now. It had happened to him many times before, after all.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Straight to the point, huh.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "The name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I was just looking around for other students is all."

His brow furrowed. "Classes are about to start. Shouldn't you be in your classroom right now?"

"Classes aren't mandatory, right?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Naruto shook his head. "Besides, there's something I need. And fast. That's the whole reason I'm at this place."

"Well, get in line. You're not special in that regard. Everyone's here for a reason" The dark haired boy side-stepped Naruto, the conversation no longer interesting for him. He walked inside the physics lab, almost like he owned the place.

"Hey, wait a sec." Being his usual self, Naruto didn't recognize the dismissal and followed after the guy inside the lab. "Do you know what this place is?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I mean….like, physics. What is that?"

The boy turned to him in obvious perturbation. "You…..you don't know what physics is?"

"Am I supposed to?" Once again, Naruto asked the obvious.

The boy's eyebrow twitched. "Just…..what?" He had no idea how he was supposed to react here. Even if he wanted to get angry, he just couldn't. The question was just that stupid to him.

"Things are much simpler where I come from." Naruto pointed to himself and grinned. "I don't deal with anything that's complicated. It would just be too annoying."

"That's not something to be proud of…..."

Naruto merely shrugged in response.

Placing a hand inside his pocket, the boy said, "Physics is everything you see around you. It governs the natural laws of this world. Without it, we wouldn't have anything. That includes everything you take for granted in your everyday life."

That….didn't really answer much. It did show Naruto that this physics was more important than he had first guessed.

But wait…...

"Did you just say it governed the natural laws of this world?"

"Yeah."

 _That_ caught Naruto's interest. This was exactly what he had been searching for.

"Does that mean you could find a way to like maybe open a…...portal or something of that nature to another world?"

"In theory, yes. In actuality…..it's more complicated than that."

It wasn't the guy in front of him that answered but a different voice altogether.

Naruto glanced back to the entrance of the physics lab where a different boy now stood. He wore the complete male uniform, only he was also draped in a white lab coat. His hair was darker and messier than the first guy's, and he looked like he hadn't caught any sleep in weeks too.

"Matsuda, what are you doing here?" Instead of addressing Naruto, the newcomer addressed the other guy, now named Matsuda. "I thought I told you I was gonna be busy today."

Matsuda Yusuke looked up toward the grand machine in the center. "I have no patience to go to class, so I thought I could kill some time in here. But….." He paused and glanced at Naruto. "You have another unwanted guest here."

Naruto pouted. "Now that's just rude. He doesn't even know me."

"But he's right. I don't want you here." The guy in the lab coat didn't give the blond a second glance as he made for the grand machine. "I have things I need to take care of. I'm not hosting parties in _my_ lab."

"Your lab?" Naruto tilted his head. "How can this whole place be your lab?"

Yusuke pointed at the other boy. "He's the **Ultimate Physicist** , so the school passed along some money for him and his experiments. That's how this place came to be."

That sounded pretty cool actually.

"Experiments that I still have to complete. Since I've been gone for some months, I need to make up some time."

"Wait, that means you created that big clunky thing?" Naruto said, referring to the grand machine in the center.

"I take offense to that," the boy said in return. "This 'big clunky thing' shall be one of my greatest works. I would appreciate it if you showed it the respect it deserves."

Naruto crunched up his face. "Sure, but…..what is it?"

The boy grinned and spread his arms out. "It's an air purifier, except that it will work in a scale never seen before! It won't be like those you see in homes and offices. No, this can very well be the first step into solving global pollution!"

Naruto was officially lost. "I don't get it."

Yusuke scratched his head, now annoyed. "Look, it's obvious you're not smart enough to grasp these concepts, so why don't you beat it? This place won't be up your sleeve."

Naruto took offense to that. "Hey, I don't need your input on this, so butt out. Besides, why are _you_ even here?"

"I need to ask this maniac for some pointers on my work," Yusuke shot back, defending his coming here. "I'm the **Ultimate Neurologist** , and you are?"

" **Ultimate Ninja**."

Yusuke snorted. "What a stupid concept."

Naruto growled. "Why you-!"

"I don't need the two of you bickering like idiots in my laboratory," the boy scientist cut in with a scowl. "If you wanna fight, take it outside where you won't bother me." He glared at Yusuke. "And you, Matsuda. I would respect your upperclassman if I were you."

Yusuke looked away, not wanting to get into a fight with the older boy since he did sort of need his help.

Naruto was more interested in this so-called physicist now. "So you're older than us?"

"I'm in the second year, yes." He gave Naruto a once over. "You're probably one of the new students, aren't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah….."

"Well, good." He pointed at Yusuke. "So is this guy. You two should get along perfectly."

Naruto and Yusuke both looked at one another, h'mphed, and proceeded to look away.

"Not on his life."

"Like I could ever be friends with this dick."

The still unnamed boy's shoulder sagged. "Why do I have to be a part of this…...?"

"I just need you to answer a question for me," Naruto insisted, not willing to back down. Not when he finally had a lead. "I know that you're probably the best person who can help me out with this."

Yusuke found himself staring at Naruto with curiosity. What could this guy possibly want to know when he didn't even know what physics was?

The **Ultimate Physicist** was in the same boat, sharing similar thoughts as Yusuke. Although his thoughts stemmed more on the fact that he wanted both Naruto and Yusuke gone as soon as possible. He had a lot to work on, and he didn't need these two hindering him. He got the feeling the blond wouldn't leave him alone until he answered the question, though.

And so, he placed a hand on his head and sighed.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Down on the first floor, those in Naruto's class were discovering that their classroom was indeed 1-B, so they didn't need to go on a wild goose chase.

Mahiru was still annoyed, though.

"I can't believe you! Not only do you show up late, but you didn't even tell us about where our classroom was!"

Koichi raised his arms in defense, suddenly feeling like he was on trial here.

"Relax, Mahiru-chan-"

"Don't call me that!"

"-you guys were able to find this place, right? My confidence on you wasn't misplaced, after all."

Fuyuhiko scowled. "Such a bullshit excuse….."

The others were thinking the same thing too.

"Now, now, don't doubt your teacher." Koichi raised his hat a little bit and grinned. "There's a reason why I was chosen to lead you guys."

That reason being that the school was currently understaffed, but they didn't need to know that.

Not that any of the **Ultimates** were buying his excuse, not even Nagito who was just all smiles and rainbows at the moment. Regardless, they found their seats in the classroom and took them. It was here that Koichi noticed something.

"Huh? Aren't we missing one…..?"

The seat next to Chiaki was empty.

Lifting his clipboard up to his eyes, Koichi read through the names of his students one more time. "Wait a second. Soda-kun, I think that's your seat."

The mechanic raised his fist in disdain. "That's not fair! This seat was empty!"

It was one of the seats in front of the class, but more importantly it was the seat next to Sonia. There was no way Kazuichi was gonna give it up.

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "The one that's missing is Uzumaki."

Peko had picked up on this already, as had Mikan who was fiddling with her fingers. She silently wondered where the blond could be right now.

"D'oooooooh!" Nekomaru nearly slammed his massive fist on his desk. "That's no good! I already had his new training regiment prepared for him!"

"That was fast," Ryota commented, not taking his eyes off from the device he had brought in order to work on his anime.

"Oh no." Sonia placed a hand on her cheek and nearly gasped. "You don't think anything's happened to him, do you?"

"Na, no way." Akane picked her ear with her pinky. "You guys saw that guy yesterday. He's strong. He wouldn't go down so easily. That's what my gut is telling me anyway."

Peko closed her eyes. "I concur. Uzumaki-san is a skilled opponent. The thought of someone defeating him is…...not an easy one."

"Ah, geeez." Mahiru rolled her eyes. "And here I thought he might be more dependable."

"Hmm, but where do you think Uzumaki-kun might be?" Nagito wondered.

Gundham spoke up. "I saw the fool early this morning in the company of our healer. They were going to school together."

All eyes went to Mikan who squeaked at the attention she was being given. She just wasn't used to it.

"Speak up, ugly." Hiyoko's eyes went cold as she looked at the shaking nurse. "You must know something."

Not that Hiyoko cared too much. The blond had been annoying to her, but…...she was just sort of curious is all.

Mikan stuttered out her answer. "I-I-I don't know where Uzumaki-san went. H-He just said he had something t-to do…..."

It was the truth, and nothing but the truth.

"Calm down, all of you." Koichi sighed and threw the clipboard on his desk behind him. "Uzumaki ain't breaking any rules. The school doesn't keep track of attendance. I'm honestly surprised so many of you showed up today."

He couldn't drink then. Or nap. Goddammit.

Ibuki pouted and slapped her desk a couple of times. "That means Ibuki doesn't have to be here either! Ibuki needs to practice her songs anyway."

"True, very true." Teruteru rubbed his chin in thought. "I was looking forward to being around so many cute girls, but if I can work on my cooking…..."

"You guys can't do that!" Mahiru exclaimed and stood up from her seat. "We have to attend classes! We're students!"

Gundham did not agree. "However, it does appear that the school does not enforce such rules. As long as we work on our abilities, everything else is second." He looked out the window. "Uzumaki has already taken that route, and he…..."

The beast tamer trailed off, not wanting to admit that he sort of appreciated how Naruto had broken the ice with them the day before.

Fuyuhiko didn't give a damn either way, so he chose to remain quiet. Nagito also just watched on. He would follow whatever decision the others arrived at.

Sonia looked down. "But….we are classmates, are we not? If we go our separate ways now…..."

With an audible sigh, Ryota stood up and picked up his supplies. "That's just the way of Hope's Peak Academy. I believe Uzumaki-san is doing the smart thing. There is no reason for us to come to class if we don't have to." With those parting words, the boy left the classroom.

Chiaki watched him go before looking down at her handheld gaming console. A part of her wanted to stay, but…...

Gundham followed next. "I have many affairs to attend to. Farewell, foolish mortals."

He wasn't the only one. One by one, the **Ultimates** all walked out of the classroom, all deciding that they had better things to do than stick around. In the end, only Sonia, Fuyuhiko, Mikan, Hiyoko, and Mahiru remained. Surprisingly, even Kazuichi decided to leave despite Sonia staying behind. His desire to work on his machines was higher than being around his crush it seemed.

Mahiru leveled Koichi with a glare. "Why didn't you say something!?"

Koichi shrugged. "Again, they're not breaking any rules. So I can't do anything even if I wanted to." Yawning, he walked around his desk to the chair where he plopped down. "You guys have a free period, so do whatever you want."

A few seconds later, he was snoring.

Mahiru twitched. "This man…..."

Sonia sighed. "He is not very dependable…."

Hiyoko snickered. "Who cares anyway? Now we can do whatever we want!"

"That's not the point," Mahiru muttered, not at all pleased by how this morning had gone.

"It's just like they say," Fuyuhiko said, catching the girls' attention. "We don't have to worry about being all friendly and shit. In this school, talent is the only thing that matters."

Sonia felt her enthusiasm sink. That wasn't the reason why she had decided to attend this school. She wanted to be friends with people her own age, and to experience new things. Now, all that was in tatters, all thanks to Naruto.

Not the best of days for the 77th class.

* * *

Unaware of the chain of events that he had started, Naruto was focused on the computer screen in front of him. The **Ultimate Physicist** , who Naruto now knew was named Nishi Jun, was typing at lighting speed on the keyboard of the computer. Yusuke was still with them as well, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this," he muttered.

Jun's eyes had some amount of interest shining in them. "I'm somewhat interested in what Uzumaki told me. Not that I think it will work."

Naruto gave Yusuke a side glare. "Stay out of this, why don't you? It doesn't concern you."

Yusuke scowled but didn't say anything else, not caring enough to do so. A part of him was still not understanding what the point of this was, though.

A few minutes later, and Jun was finished with all the preparations.

"How very interesting…..."

"Hm?" Naruto leaned in closer to try and see what was happening on the computer screen. "What did you do? Did it work?"

Jun leaned back in his seat. "I ran a simulation using this…..chakra you speak of. It's a lot different from the principles in Buddhism, not that I've ever been interested in such philosophies. But based on what you've described and if it was in a global magnitude like you've said…then yes, inter-dimensional travel is indeed possible."

Yusuke's eyes widened at this while Naruto grinned in excitement.

"What the hell kind of bullshit is that?" For once, Yusuke lost his composure. He had heard everything Naruto told Jun, about whether or not traveling between dimensions was possible. Jun had told him that, theoretically it was. It just wasn't grounded in reality. That's when the blond had gone on about some mystical power called chakra, which was where Yusuke had lost interest. And now this happened?

Jun for his part shrugged. "Based on Uzumaki's description, this chakra has a great deal of firepower behind it. And in the quantity he explained, well…...anything can be possible, especially if it's in a very concentrated form. With that kind of power, and if we hypothesize that the dimensions are close enough…..it can be done."

While Yusuke was still shocked about this, Naruto was pleased with this answer. It meant that his theory had been correct, after all. It was all thanks to that big ass explosion caused by Madara.

'Stupid Uchiha….I just knew he was behind this!'

But even so, now that he knew this….just where did he go from here?

Naruto narrowed his eyes, his mind coming up with his next course of action on the spot. "Say, Jun….just what would it take for me to replicate that kind of explosion?"

If the boy was shocked that the Uzumaki was so familiar with him already, he didn't show it. Instead, he answered the question as best he could.

"That…..would be impossible for you."

Naruto frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

"There is nothing on this Earth that would help you achieve that same level of power, Uzumaki. Nothing within your reach at least."

"Meaning?"

"To achieve that level of power and force, enough to tear through the very fabric of time and space…..it's beyond the reach of our current technological prowess. We can create as many simulations as we can, but it's just not possible in the real world. It's like I told you at the start. It's impossible."

All the hope until that point vanished from Naruto. Now, only anger remained.

"What the heck…..? I thought this place was supposed to make the impossible possible!"

Jun massaged his forehead. "Not like that, I won't. A project like this would take time…...and money. It just can't come from thin air. You have to understand this." He crossed his arms. "But more to the point, why do you even care about something like this? You don't seem like the…scholarly type."

Naruto clicked his teeth together. "If that's your way of saying I'm stupid, then nice on the subtlety."

Jun shrugged.

Naruto pushed that aside. "Look, I just….I really need this, okay? It's very important."

Jun could see the desperation coming from the younger teen. It honestly made him feel bad.

"I wish I could help," he said truthfully, sighing softly. "But it's like I said. With something like this….it would maybe take a lifetime. Perhaps more. My hands are tied."

Naruto turned away, his face pained. Those words…...they cut right through his very soul. The possibility of going back home…..was it really nonexistent?

Yusuke meanwhile stared at the whiskered blond in silence, his eyes studying him. There was more to this guy than what he appeared. What could it be?

'Hmm…...'

His curiosity had been piqued.

* * *

By the time Naruto left the physics lab, it was already near lunchtime. He had been in there for like four hours. Time sure flew by when you were focused on something. Not that the time mattered to Naruto right now. His spirit was too down to care about something like time. No, Naruto was just…frustrated. Frustrated that he couldn't do anything about his situation.

He stopped by one of the windows in the hallway, his eyes taking in the scenery. The trees, the massive buildings, the sky.

'This…...'

Was he stuck in this place? Forever? Stuck with no way to return to his friends? To stop Madara once and for all?

Naruto shut his eyes, his form shaking.

'Everyone…...I'm sorry.'

"There you are!"

Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts by Mahiru's shout. He raised his head to see the redhead with her hands on her hips, her face flushed with anger. She wasn't alone either. A snickering Hiyoko was right beside her, with Sonia, Mikan, and amazingly enough Fuyuhiko right behind her.

"What the-? You guys…." Naruto trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You have a lot of explaining to do!" Of course, Mahiru wasn't going to let him not say anything. "Why didn't you come to class today!?"

"Um." Scratching the back of his head, Naruto felt like he was an inmate on death row, or whenever Sakura was questioning him about his behavior. The two girls just had that similar presence to them.

"We were worried sick about you, Naruto!" Sonia was more understanding….sorta. She was still a bit angry with her fellow blond, but not enough to not worry about him.

Mikan smiled a little. "I-I'm glad, Uzumaki-san…..."

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "See? I knew the idiot was just goofing off. You guys were worried for nothing."

"Then why did you even come?" Fuyuhiko asked her, still annoyed that he had been dragged into this.

Hiyoko stuck her tongue out. "To watch him get chewed out of course~"

But of course. What else could it be?

Naruto raised his hand and said, "Honestly…..I'm feeling totally lost here."

"Don't give us that!" Mahiru began poking him on the chest to emphasize her point. "Because of you, everyone else decided to run off and do their own thing."

"What…..?"

Sonia nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Yes…...Kizakura-sensei told us how it was okay for us to skip class. Since you were already gone, the others just…"

"Who the fuck cares about that guy?" Fuyuhiko grumbled. "Bastard was passed out when we left too. He sucks at being a teacher. Just why the hell did we end up with him?"

For once, Mahiru was agreeing with the yakuza. "I know right. It's totally irresponsible!"

Naruto nodded, mostly to himself. He was beginning to piece everything together. With the arrival of his fellow students, he was also starting to get over his frustration toward his lack of progress.

"I see. That's a big problem, for sure."

Mahiru shot him a glare. "That you started!"

Naruto chuckled, somewhat nervously. Man, this girl had a mean glare on her.

"I'm sorry about that, Mahiru. I really am. I didn't think my absence would lead to something like this."

And it was the truth too.

Mahiru could see that he was being honest, and apologizing also helped calm her irritation some. "I guess I can understand that…..just why were you gone anyway? Tsumiki-san said you had some business to take care of….."

At the mention of her name, Mikan stood up straighter, almost like she was being interrogated.

Naruto sighed as he was reminded of his failure. "Just some stuff here and there. I got acquainted with some other students, so there's that."

Mahiru took notice of the lackluster response but didn't push it.

"Man, who cares about that?" Hiyoko pouted and looked at the others. "All of this walking is a real hassle. We didn't even accomplish anything by coming here."

Naruto grinned. "Now that's not true, Hiyoko!"

The dancer's eyes widened. "W-What!? Don't address me so familiarly all of a sudden, you creep!"

"I think you're just going to have to get used to that," Mahiru muttered, mostly to herself.

Naruto ignored the blonde's insult altogether. "We just have to get the others back! Easy as pie."

"Y-You say that, but we don't know where they've gone," Mikan said softly, feeling confident enough to raise a point against her energetic friend. Naruto had already told her that it wasn't wrong to be like that, so she could be a bit bolder now.

"Man, fuck that." Fuyuhiko began to walk off. "I don't need to be a part of this." After saying that, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed that Naruto was in front of him all of a sudden. "Wha-!? How did you move so fast!?"

The girls were impressed as well, with Sonia's eyes sparkling.

"Wow! Just like a Japanese ninja!"

Mahiru sweatdropped. "Again, Sonia-san, ninjas only exist in Japan…..."

"You can't just leave us like this, Fuyuhiko!" Naruto said with his fist raised. "I caused you guys some problems today, and while it wasn't my intention, I still need to make up for them!"

And it might help him get over his frustrations as well.

Fuyuhiko t'sked. "You seriously want a guy like me to tag along? You already know about my family, don't you?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

The quick dismissal was enough to startle Fuyuhiko and make him lose his voice for a couple of seconds. "W-Well, like….most people are afraid to get close to me, bumbass! No one dares to cross my family!" He finally found his voice again.

"I don't really judge people based on silly stuff like that," Naruto retorted and lowered his fist down to Fuyuhiko's level. "I only judge a person for themselves. And you don't look like a bad guy to me."

Fuyuhiko stared at the fist in front of him, not understanding what the Uzumaki was getting at with this. When he locked eyes with Naruto, though, he understood what the guy was doing. It was enough to make Fuyuhiko smirk.

"You're a strange bastard, you know that?" Despite his words, Fuyuhiko met Naruto's fist with his own, the two exchanging a fist bump.

Naruto grinned.

"Yeah, so I've been told."

Another bond was just formed.

* * *

 **I'm honestly shocked by how much side content Danganronpa has. I never really bothered to think about it until now. Light novels, mangas, that Nagito one-shot episode. It's all there. Not gonna lie, though, that Killer Killer spin-off manga is pretty great. I'm only saddened we never got to see the** _ **Ultimate Pyrotechnician**_ **in anime form. The guy was just really cool in a fucked up way. Then again, most of the killers in the manga are the same way.**

 **But anyway, that's all a wrap from me. The chapters do seem to be getting longer and longer…..weird.**

 **Till next time.**


	6. A Class United?

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:  
A Class United…?**

"Man, you guys weren't kidding. This guy's totally wasted. I'm surprised he even made it to class today."

Mahiru pinched her nose while Naruto poked at their so-called teacher who was still passed out on his desk. Mikan looked nervous about Naruto's actions but was too hesitant to call him out on it. She still hadn't fully gotten over her nervousness from the looks of things.

"Yes, well. It does appear that he's been drinking. We can _thank_ him for showing up at least." Mahiru forced those words out, but in reality she felt anything but thankful. This man was not responsible at all. It was the type of people she disliked the most.

"Reminds me of Ero-Sennin after he visited one of his clubs," Naruto commented offhandedly as he tossed his bag on his supposed desk.

He and the five others were back in their classroom after they had caught up to the blond on the third floor. Lunch period was about to start too, but there were more pressing concerns. Like getting everyone else together.

Sonia tilted her head in thought. "Ero…..Sennin?"

"Hm?" Naruto turned to her. "Oh, yeah. That's a nickname I gave my master when I first met him." He chuckled at the memory. "It was pretty fitting if you ask me."

Fuyuhiko shook his head. "With that kind of nickname, I can only guess the type of person he was."

Hiyoko snickered. "A total loser if you ask me. No wonder he was your master."

Naruto flicked the smaller blonde on the forehead. "That's not nice now, Hiyoko."

Hiyoko spluttered and nearly stumbled, shocked that someone had done that to her.

"W-What…..? Hey, that hurt!"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe that'll teach you not to badmouth people you don't know…...or people in general."

Mahiru sighed and decided to speak up. "While I appreciate what you're trying to teach her, a boy should never raise his hand against a girl, you know."

Naruto waved her off. "Relax. It wasn't that bad. I just flicked her is all."

Hiyoko glared at him, her forehead stinging red. She had sensitive skin from the looks of it. "It still hurt!" She then flinched when Naruto's hand came for her a second time. She was expecting to be flicked again, but instead her body was overcome with a warm and soft feeling when she was patted on the head.

"I promise not to do that again if you start treating us more like the friends that we are," Naruto said. "We're not out to get you or anything, so I think it's only fair."

A small part of Hiyoko wanted to lash out since being flicked on the forehead _really_ hurt, especially coming from Naruto's rough hands. But most of her was more mesmerized by the aura coming from the Uzumaki. It was all bright and promised nothing but comfort and happiness. It was the first time Hiyoko felt such a thing from someone who wasn't her father. It wasn't exactly the same as her amicable feelings toward Mahiru that were already forming, but it wasn't all that different either. And the rough hands that could bring pain now felt soft.

Huffing, Hiyoko was finally able to look away from Naruto and tried to hide her blushing cheeks.

"W-Whatever, idiot."

Naruto counted that as a victory. Baby steps and all.

Mikan felt something akin to jealousy when she saw this, her eyes boring into Hiyoko. But she kept quiet. Mostly because this was the first time she felt something that could be called jealousy. This was all around just confusing for her.

Sonia clapped her hands together. "Marvelous! I shall extol your virtues, Naruto!"

"Uh…...yeah, thanks…...I guess." He decided to take that as a compliment.

Crossing his arms, Fuyuhiko said, "So what exactly is the plan here?" He paused. "You _do_ have a plan, right?"

"Not really, no."

Fuyuhiko deadpanned. "You're an idiot."

Mahiru facepalmed. "I have to agree."

Naruto chuckled. "Now, now. Don't say that. We just have to talk the others into coming back. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Come back to what?" Fuyuhiko pointed to the passed out Koichi. "There is nothing to come back to. This guy is obviously a joke, and I'm not too keen on wasting my time in this classroom with him either."

He did have a point there. Even someone as nice as Sonia had to agree with what Fuyuhiko was saying.

Humming, Naruto thought about the situation for a second. In times like this, his brain usually came up with a totally random solution that usually saved the day. It was how he came up with his strategies in battle most of the time.

"Well…...when you put it like that, I guess we'll just have to host our own little event."

Sonia was intrigued. "Event? Whatever do you mean?"

Naruto smirked and began to circle the others. "Think about it. We're all still strangers right now. So of course our bond isn't all that strong. And that's precisely where we need to start! If we're going to survive as a group, we are going to have to level up!"

"Level up?" Hiyoko blanched. "That's totally embarrassing, ya know!"

"But it's true!" Naruto wagged his finger at them. "You know I'm right about this. Besides, I know you want to share in some amazing school fun too."

"I won't deny it," Mahiru said, a hand on her cheek. "Having friends in class does make your school experience a lot better." She then sweatdropped a little. "But the others are totally crazy, you know. Getting them to agree is…..."

"Totally possible!" Naruto exclaimed, raising his fist in excitement. "We all need to enjoy our youth together!"

Guy-sensei would totally be proud of him right now!

Fuyuhiko couldn't help but shake his head again. "You really are one strange bastard."

"Why, thank you. Your words of encouragement fuel me."

Mikan had to giggle here. "Y-You are also funny, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto grinned. "See? Someone here understands my awesomeness."

Mahiru rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Get over yourself and just tell us what you have in mind."

Naruto stepped back and spread his arms out. "It's something that I used to do a lot as a kid. And that's camping."

Camping?

Fuyuhiko mulled this over. "So you want all of us…...to go camping? Is that it?"

"Camping?" Sonia tested the word. "What is camping exactly?"

Mahiru looked at her in surprise. "You've never been camping before?"

The princess nearly bowed. "I do apologize for my ignorance, but I regret that I have not ever done this camping you speak of."

Naruto shot her a thumbs up. "Then you're gonna love it, Sonia. It's just you and Mother Nature out there. You get to feel like you're really free and that nothing else matters but that moment."

"Really!?" Sonia's nostrils flared up in excitement. "That sounds glorious! Truly, this is worth checking out!"

"Well, I guess to you it must be exciting," Mahiru muttered, looking somewhat amused. But then she perked up. "Although it would be interesting to get photos of everyone out there. It's not everyday that you go camping…..."

The idea really began to sound more and more appealing to her now.

"But camping is such a pain," Hiyoko whined. "There's bugs, and trees, and all that dirt. What if I get it on me?"

Naruto rolled his eyes this time. "Then I'll carry you. How's that sound?"

Instead of shooting a rude remark at him, Hiyoko blushed some and looked away. "Y-You don't have to do that, idiot. I can take care of myself!"

She had never gone camping before, though. Not that she would tell anyone here.

Mikan was having a mental breakdown over this idea. "I-I'm going to have to bring so many things! I-If someone gets an injury…...t-the possible infections! I-I'll have to be prepared for the worst!"

Truly, this was a test to her skills!

"Calm down, Mikan," Naruto said as he tried to ease the girl's fears. "I'm sure it won't come down to that."

Hopefully.

"We still have to get the others," Fuyuhiko reminded them, his hands in his pockets. "And then get them to agree…..t'ch, this is such a pain in the ass."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm sure everything will work out."

Before anyone could refute him, the school bell rang out over their heads. It was the start of the lunch period it seemed. Even with the loud bell, Koichi didn't wake up, though.

What a lazy man.

It was here where Naruto's stomach grumbled, making its presence known to the world. "But first things first. We have to eat!"

They were being led by an idiot…...

Mahiru nearly slapped her face. "We're doomed."

* * *

Even though Mahiru said this, she and the others were getting pretty hungry too. This was why they followed Naruto over to the cafeteria on the first floor of the school. Well, it was technically a cafeteria, but it looked more like a small fancy restaurant than anything else.

Naruto whistled. "Woah. I didn't think they would have a place like this in here."

Sonia nodded. "I was able to take a peek yesterday, but truly this is a nice place to eat."

"I don't really need to order anything," Mahiru said as she reached into her bag which she had brought with her. From inside, she pulled out a small bento wrapped in a purple cloth. "I already brought my lunch."

Sonia was amazed. "A bento! I have heard of those in my country, but this is the first time I'm seeing one in person!" Her eyes sparkled. "I am learning so much of Japan's culture today!"

Mahiru smiled weakly. "It's not that big of a deal."

Naruto's nose twitched, taking in the sweet aroma coming from the bento. "Damn, that smells good. You must be a great cook, Mahiru."

The redhead blushed at the compliment. "Y-Yeah. I always have to cook back home, so I just got kinda good at it."

Hiyoko grinned, her face full of delight. "Hey, hey. You should feed me some of your cooking."

"W-Well…..only a little…..."

"Yay! I get some of Big Sis's cooking!"

Fuyuhiko closed his eyes, amused. "Those two are close already."

Naruto had to agree. "Yeah. I think it's great."

Mikan smiled. "Y-Yes, it is wonderful."

While Mahiru and Hiyoko went to sit down at one of the tables, the rest walked up to the "order here" section of the cafeteria. Only that there wasn't anyone there when they arrived.

"Oi, what is this?" Naruto was ready to jump in the back and demand some food on the double.

Fuyuhiko was annoyed too. "T'ch. Do they even serve food in this crappy school?"

They were cut off as the door to the back of the kitchen swung open and none other than Teruteru came running for them, his trademark smile in place.

"Why, hello there, ladies and gentlemen. It sure is unexpected to see you all here!"

"What the-? Teruteru?" Naruto blinked. He hadn't thought to come here to find this guy, but he was the **Ultimate Cook**. It only made sense that he would be holed up here.

Teruteru chuckled in great amusement. "My, my. It seems you were able to find Uzumaki-kun, and now you're all here. What is it? Could you not bear to be apart from me for too long? Mhmhmhm, do not worry. It's not the first time I've been told such a thing."

"No, it's not-"

"Oh, by the way, Uzumaki-kun." Naruto had to take a step back as the shorter boy turned to him and grabbed his hand. "How did you like that ramen I prepared for you yesterday? Was it delicious? Did your underwear come falling down due to my skills? You can be honest!"

This guy…...he was giving off really dangerous vibes right now.

Fuyuhiko t'ched. "Disgusting moron."

"Y-Yeah, it was really good." Naruto pulled back his hand and felt like he should run away as far away as possible.

"It was my first time cooking something of that nature," Teruteru said, his face thoughtful. "My dishes are usually more extravagant than that. I suppose your tastes align more to the common folk, hm?"

Naruto turned serious. "Ramen is the food of the gods. It's the best dish to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That is the truth, no matter where you go."

The reactions were instantaneous. Teruteru looked shocked, Fuyuhiko sweatdropped, Sonia was interested, and Mikan clutched her hands into fits.

"U-Uzumaki-san! H-Having ramen all that much is not healthy for you…!" She used all her willpower to say that.

Naruto grumbled a little. But he expected Mikan to say something like that. She was a nurse and all, and Sakura always told him that ramen wasn't healthy, especially at the level he consumed.

"Don't say that, Mikan. Ramen is delicious."

Mikan poked her fingers together and did her best to look stern. Which didn't amount to much, but she still tried. "I-It's all for your personal well-being. Ramen is not to be consumed at that amount. You could become sick!"

Even though she didn't look stern, she still acted like it, Naruto mused to himself. It was great to see that she could take charge at times like this, but just not with his ramen dammit!

Sonia had a more pending question. "What is ramen?"

Naruto's head snapped in her direction. "S'whaaaaaaat!? You don't know what ramen is!?"

The blonde shook her head. "No. Am I supposed to…...?"

"It's one of the….no, it's _the_ best food in the world!" Naruto proclaimed, a fire now burning in his belly. "And for you to never have tasted it…...you must have led a terrible life, Sonia!"

Sonia gasped. "If it's that serious, then I am truly ashamed of my ignorance once more! To not have known something like that…."

"You shouldn't take the idiot so seriously," Fuyuhiko muttered in disdain, shocked to see Sonia believing Naruto's words at face value.

Naruto slapped Teruteru on the back. "Yo, Teruteru! We are going to need four orders of ramen, on the double!"

"Ohohohoho~" The cook was all laughs and giggles as he made his way to the kitchen once more. "You really are so forceful, Uzumaki-kun~ I love it~"

Fuyuhiko, though, nearly slapped Naruto on the face. "Oi, why did you pick for me!? I don't ramen!"

Naruto met Fuyuhiko's scorn with a glare of his own. "Because you're a non-believer. We need to change that!" Naruto then looked at Mikan. "You too, Mikan. I'm sure you'll turn to the light once you taste Teruteru's ramen. While not as good as that of Ichiraku's, it's a close second I think."

"I-It's still a very unhealthy diet, Uzumaki-san," Mikan reminded him.

"Na, nonsense. I turned out fine, didn't I?"

Mikan could see the muscles hidden underneath Naruto's shirt and had to admit that he had her there. But then she turned bright red when she realized that she was staring.

"H'mph. I don't know how you survived eating just ramen," Fuyuhiko said. The thought of anyone doing that...it wasn't appealing to him.

Sonia was next to Naruto on the excitement meter. "Glorious Japan, I am learning so much!"

Fuyuhiko sweatdropped in dismay. 'And she's not helping the situation either…...'

In the end, Fuyuhiko was made to eat the ramen along with the rest, with Naruto gulping down five servings before he was satisfied.

The others didn't look at him the same way after that.

* * *

Peko breathed in deeply as she sat on the floor of the dojo she had sparred with Naruto the day before. She was in her school uniform at the moment, but she had spotted several training uniforms in one of the lockers. They were probably for those who wished to use the dojo on a regular basis. Since this was only her second day, Peko didn't feel the need to pull one out for herself just yet.

In front of her was a bamboo sword. Not her own, but one she had borrowed from the dojo. She had brought her own today, but she felt like the next step in her training was getting accustomed to using other swords, not just her own. The discomfort from not using her own weapon could be a weakness that others might exploit. Naruto indirectly taught her that yesterday. That's a weakness she needed to overcome, and why she-

"Yo, Peko-chan! There you are!"

Her tranquility and concentration went out the window when Naruto's voice reached her ears. Looking up, Peko spotted not only Naruto, but her young master, Sonia, Mikan, Teruteru, Mahiru, and Hiyoko.

More importantly…...

"What did you just call me?"

Naruto, who was waving at her, paused before saying, "I called you Peko-chan. That's your name, isn't it?"

Peko didn't know what to make of that. She had thought it was only going to be a one time thing, but…..

Sensing her thoughts, Fuyuhiko said, "Get over it. He's weird like that."

Naruto grinned. "Fuyuhiko likes me now."

"W-Wha-!?" Said boy nearly chocked on his spit when he heard that.

Teruteru was nodding to himself. "Mhmhmhm. Such friendship has blossomed…...not bad, not bad."

"I think you're misunderstanding something here," Mahiru said, but went ignored.

Sighing, Peko stood up on her feet. "What are you doing here, Uzumaki-san? I thought you didn't come to class today?"

"I had some business to take care of this morning." Naruto pointed at her. "But still, that's no excuse for you guys to run out too! That's why we're taking the necessary measures for our future here."

"Necessary measures…...?"

"Yeah, we're going out camping!"

Peko was stunned to silence for a few moments. She then glanced to Fuyuhiko to see if Naruto was serious. Fuyuhiko merely gave her a look that said "go with it."

Well then.

"This is…...rather unexpected," Peko said at last. "Are we authorized to leave the school for such affairs?"

Naruto snorted. "Pfft. Of course we are. We're not prisoners here. 'Sides, if it comes down to it, I'll speak to the headmaster. I'm cool with the guy."

He was stretching the truth a little there, but what the heck.

"Hahahaha. What marvelous hope you have, Uzumaki-kun!"

Naruto and the others turned their heads to the dojo entrance to see a smiling Nagito now standing there.

Hiyoko shuddered. "When did this guy get here?"

Something about Nagito just gave her the chills for some reason. It went without saying that she still wasn't all that fond of him.

Naruto was more receiving of the boy. "Nagito! Glad to see you showing up. Now we don't have to look for you."

"I was just looking around the school some more," Nagito responded, still smiling. "For someone like me to actually be attending Hope's Peak…...I just wanted to make the most of it."

"Is that why you decided to wonder off?" Mahiru said sarcastically.

Nagito looked down. "I didn't think I was deserving to be around such talent. That's why I decided to remove myself from the room. I was sure my presence wouldn't be missed."

"Man, you're still saying some weird stuff." Naruto was about ready to slap the boy. "Look, forget all that. You're coming with us."

"Oh, I've heard the gist of it." Nagito's smile returned. "You're planning a trip, Uzumaki-kun. But I must wonder…...do you really want someone like me around?"

"Don't make me smack some sense into you," was Naruto's answer as he led the others out of the dojo. "Now come on. We still have to get the others."

"Hmm." Nagito studied Naruto for some moments before seeming satisfied about something. "In that case, I might be able to lend a hand…..."

The others looked at him with curiosity.

* * *

With Nagito as their guide, the group were to able to find Ibuki in one of the empty classrooms in the fourth floor. The classroom had been re-purposed to serve as her practice room from the looks of it, even though there was already a music room in the school.

No one questioned it.

Ibuki herself was playing guitar and practicing one of her songs, only that the song was causing deep mental scarring for all those who heard it, except for Naruto and Hiyoko. Hiyoko seemed to love it while Naruto was just more confused than anything else, having never heard anything like this before. Music hadn't played a big role in his life, so this was somewhat engaging to him.

"So it's true, what they said," Nagito commented, his face a bit troubled. "The reason Mioda-san left her group was because of their…...creative differences…..."

Naruto merely shrugged. "I don't get it."

"Yay!" Hiyoko cheered as loud as she could. "This is amazing! I've never heard anything life this before!"

"Hm?" Ibuki stopped when she noticed the others in the room. "What's this? Ibuki doesn't remember having an audience…..."

Naruto shot her a wave. "Yeah, sorry about that. We just came to get you."

"But Ibuki is in the middle of her performance, Naruto-chan! Ibuki can't stop now!"

"Erm…." Naruto scratched his cheek. "Then we can wait for you to finish?"

"That's asking for too much!" Teruteru exclaimed, close to having a seizure.

"T-This is certainly some very bizarre music," Sonia managed to say, not sure how to feel about what she'd heard.

Hiyoko shot them a dirty look. "Man, you guys are a bunch of wusses. Can't even handle something like this."

"Now, now, there's no need to say something like that," Mahiru said, keeping the blonde close to her. She sort of agreed with what the others were saying, though.

Mikan tugged on Naruto's sleeve to catch his attention. "A-Are we really going to listen to the rest…..?"

Naruto patted her on the head to comfort her. "It's not bad really. And it's not like it can be worse…...right?"

Nagito seemed uncertain. "There's no way to know…..."

Ibuki flashed them all a smile. "If you're willing to stay, then allow me to present to you, 'I Accidentally Kissed My Best Friend So I May Be Gay Now!' It's quite a tearjerker, Ibuki swears on her honor!"

And like that, Ibuki returned to the group, at the price of listening to her songs of course. A price that might have forever scarred some of them.

* * *

Nagito guided them to the top floor of the school, to where a Greenhouse had been set up. Nagito explained to them how it was there where most of the animals were being kept, leftover projects of the **Ultimate Farmer** who attended the school many, many years ago. That's what Nagito had been able to find online anyway.

It was here where they found Gundham tending to some of the animals, all the while monologuing to himself.

Naruto also now understood something. "So this is what you were up to this morning."

Gundham must have been coming here to take care of the animals. That's why he was up so early. Like Mikan had said, most animals started their day early.

Gundham turned to them, his smirk wide. "Welcome, you fools. I see you have decided to take your first steps into hell."

Naruto didn't listen to him, though, and instead was somewhat mesmerized by the Greenhouse before him. "Woah. This place…..is amazing! I didn't think a place like this existed in the school!"

Nagito chuckled. "Ah. I'm guessing you're more of an outdoorsy type, huh, Uzumaki-kun? But I guess I should have known that from your idea…..."

"It is beautiful," Sonia said, watching some of the animals that had been housed here. There were chickens, bunnies, ducks, and even a goat. For the school to be able to handle something like this…...

Hiyoko wasn't feeling it. "This place is tooooooo hot. Who would ever want to spend their time here?"

"I must," Gundham said, his arms crossed over his chest. "For the time being, these familiars must remain here. Soon enough, they shall be transported to my fortress for safety."

"Fortress?" Sonia looked puzzled by this.

Fuyuhiko scowled a bit. "Speak clearly, dumbass."

Nagito decided to fill them in. "From what I understand, Tanaka-san owns his own store where he raises most of his animals. It was provided to him by grants from several different animal activist groups, correct?"

Gundham cackled. "Kekekekeke. It seems someone here intends to follow my footsteps, almost like a nightwatchman in the shadows."

Nagito smiled. "I shall take that as a compliment."

"Well, we can't get distracted here," Naruto said at last, taking in the atmosphere one more time. It was honestly pretty great. "We need you to come with us, Gundham."

"Hm?" The breeder turned to him. "For what purpose?"

Sonia beamed. "We are planning a trip! We are to go camping!"

She was already excited, her very bones were shaking!

"Camping, you say? In the wild?"

Naruto nodded. "That's the plan…..but we still need to figure out where…..."

Peko deadpanned. "This really wasn't planned all that well, was it?"

Mikan giggled. "But that's just how Uzumaki-san is…..."

Peko had to agree there. They only knew each other for two days, but she was already starting to understand the kind of man Naruto was. He did things at his pace and rarely came up with any plans unless it was absolutely necessary. He was a lot different from the types of people Peko was used to being around, but she was taking a real liking to him.

So was Fuyuhiko for that matter, who smirked in amusement. "Since we can't rely on the idiot, then I'll be the one to find us a spot."

"Oh? What's this?" Mahiru grinned. "Does the big bad yakuza want to go camping that badly?"

Fuyuhiko's cheeks turned red. "S-Shut up! I'm only trying to make things easier for us!"

"Right, right." Mahiru's face made it clear that she didn't believe him for a second.

Turning away from that, Naruto patted Gundham on the back. "So what do you say? You coming?"

Gundham grinned. "Fine. I suppose there shall be no harm in going on this little adventure with you all. Who knows? It might even transform our very understanding of this universe!"

Teruteru was greatly entertained by his words. "You say such weird things as usual."

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "Like you're one to talk."

Whistling, Teruteru winked at the girl. "I take that as a compliment, mademoiselle."

"Grooooooooossssss!" Ibuki exclaimed, foam shooting out of her mouth somehow.

Naruto could only shake his head at this. His new friends really were weird.

Oh well. Onto the next one!

* * *

Naruto and the others were led back to the first floor by the sound of rumbling that echoed throughout the school. The sound was specifically coming from the first floor bathroom, the boy's bathroom.

"What is this!?" Gundham cried out in alarm, his face burning with anxiousness. "Could this be…...!? Has the demon lord finally awaken from his slumber!?"

Nagito on the other hand hummed. "Hmm, given that it's after lunch, I should have suspected that he'd be here…..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Who are you talking about?"

The rumbling increased in size and noise.

Nagito pointed to the door. "Shall we find out?"

Mahiru raised her hand. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going in there."

"I don't think anyone was expecting you to," Fuyuhiko muttered.

"I have never been into a Japanese men's room!" Sonia said in excitement and ran inside, not realizing how her actions could be interpreted by the others.

Teruteru gushed when he saw this. "Oh my~ Miss Sonia can be very bold, hm?"

Ibuki wasn't all that thrilled to go in the boy's bathroom either. "Ibuki will wait out here as well."

"It's not like everyone has to come," Naruto said as he stepped inside the bathroom with Fuyuhiko and Nagito following him. Mikan quickly followed too, while the others stayed behind.

Once inside, Naruto was met with Sonia's "wow" face as the girl took in the scenery with rising eagerness while the rumbling continued.

"I can't believe you just waltzed in here," Fuyuhiko said, taken back by the forwardness shown by the princess.

Mikan decided to not comment as she stuck close to Naruto, looking around the bathroom in fear. The rumbling simply kept getting stronger and stronger.

Naruto felt lost. "What in the world is going on in here?"

Nagito chuckled some. "Wow. His stomach must be in a real jam if it's-"

The lucky boy was cut off by a sudden explosion that erupted in one of the bathroom stalls, the explosion having enough force to blow the door apart and send flying the others that were outside.

"It's like I thought!" Gundham's voice was heard amidst the smoke. "The great lord from the nine hells…...he has returned at last!"

"This is messing with Ibuki's future!"

There were other voices and groans, but they were hard to make out.

Since Mikan was the closest, Naruto had made sure to shield her from the explosion, the girl shaking in his arms. The whiskered blond could see that Sonia seemed to be able to take the blast head on…..somehow. The girl was certainly tougher than she looked.

Nagito and Fuyuhiko were still in the bathroom as well, the two boys having their arms raised to cover their eyes.

"What the hell was that!?" Fuyuhiko shouted, shocked.

Nagito took the situation a lot better. "Hahaha. He was truly backed up."

Naruto was about to ask him what he meant until boisterous laughter reached his ears. Soon enough, emerging from the smoke, Nekomaru laughed as he adjusted his tracksuit pants.

"Bahahahahahaha! Sorry about that, you guys! I just had to push out a real big one today!"

Naruto let the shaking Mikan go and sighed in exasperation. "I should have known it would be you…..."

"Hm?" The muscular boy blinked when he spotted Naruto. "Uzumaki! I've been looking for you! I still need to hand you your new training regimen!"

"Oh, you finished it already? You're just as fast as Guy-sensei!"

"Who's that?"

"No one, don't worry about it." Naruto looked up at Nekomaru since the team manager was taller than him. "But we've been looking for you too. You're coming with us!"

Nekomaru didn't know what to say to that and merely shrugged. He didn't mind since he wasn't doing anything in particular anyway.

Nagito was pleased. "Looks like that's another classmate down, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto turned to the broken door of the bathroom.

"Then let's go to the next one!"

Only four left now.

* * *

Akane was bursting through the air at great speed, the wind gushing past her. Her hair moved erratically around her as she moved through the trees surrounding the school. There were many different buildings placed in the area of the school. Akane had no idea what they were for, nor did she particularly care for them either. She could also see another building that was in construction near the main school building, but beyond that her attention span did not remain on it. No, she was just having too much fun exploring the area on her own. That, and being on the move gave her a calmer peace of mind.

Her sense of thrill left her when Naruto's face suddenly popped up in front of her from one of the nearby trees.

"Yo, Akane. Just the person we were looking for!"

"What the fu-!?" The gymnast lost her footing and ended up crashing down to the ground. Or she would have, if Nekomaru didn't catch her in his arms that is.

"Oh my~" Ibuki was grinning widely as she took this in. "A picture-perfect moment!"

Mahiru agreed, which was why she took a picture real quick to persevere the moment.

It was by this point that Akane's mind rebutted, and the girl jumped out of Nekomaru's arms and landed on the solid ground. She noticed that almost everyone from class was around her.

"Huh? What's going on here?"

"Uzumaki's gathering us for some crazy idea he's got," Fuyuhiko told her.

Mahiru nearly poked him. "You say that, but you know you so totally want to come."

"S-Shut up about that already!"

Peko was silently amused by her master's embarrassment.

Akane placed a hand on her hips. "Uzumaki? Wait, that bastard was-!"

"Man, you're fast." Naruto suddenly appeared behind her, dusting some leaves from his uniform. "I kinda already had an idea from what I saw yesterday, but I underestimated your speed."

Nekomaru was of the same mind. "I know right? Her speed is impressive. She has to be one of the fastest athletes I've ever seen." He then narrowed his eyes at the blond. "Of course, you were able to catch up to her with no difficulty."

Naruto smirked and pointed at himself. "I'm just that awesome."

Nekomaru fell into a fit of laughter. "Hahahahahaha! That's certainly true! You are a great athlete indeed!"

Naruto wouldn't put it that way, but sure.

Growling, Akane grabbed a hold of Naruto's shirt and pulled him closer. "Oi! That does it! We're fighting right now!"

"O-Owari-san!" Mikan said quickly, frantically trying to stop a fight from breaking out between the two. Mostly because she didn't want to see Naruto get hurt. "T-That would be terribly dangerous!"

Gundham closed his eyes. "Uzumaki seems more than capable of handling himself…..."

Teruteru's eyes flashed with glee. "Mhmhmhm. In more ways than one."

Mahiru and Hiyoko stepped away from the cook.

Naruto removed Akane's hand and pushed her back a bit. "Tell you what. You come with us, and I'll give you that fight. I promise."

Akane turned deadly serious. "You for real? Not playing me?"

"Nope. Once I make a promise, I keep it. That's my personal motto."

"What a great motto!" Sonia said, clapping her hands.

"Hehehe, Naruto-chan is taking the spotlight!" Ibuki said, sticking her tongue out.

Akane was more focused on getting that fight. She could sense it, Naruto was strong. And when she saw someone strong, she just had to fight them. She had already traded blows with Nekomaru, so Naruto was next on her list.

"Alright, you got a deal!"

And like that, Akane was with them.

Another one down!

* * *

Kazuichi nearly burst into tears when he saw the one and only Miss Sonia enter his workshop. Well, he could call it his workshop, but really it was just an empty grassy field with random junk he had found to tinker with here and there. Stuff the school no longer needed, which he could transform into something useful. Maybe like a huge engine that he could work on day and night. Ahhhh, how amazing that would be.

Those thoughts left him when he saw Sonia, though. He ignored the others and ran up to the blonde, gushing at her presence.

"Miss Sonia! I didn't think you would come here to see me! Were you lonely without me?"

Sonia plastered a smile on her face, doing her best to remain civil. "Well, that is-"

"Yo, Kazuichi." The mechanic felt a heavy slap on his back, his shoulders nearly heaving as a result. "I didn't take you for the kind of guy to enjoy being outdoors. I'm surprised."

Kazuichi leveled Naruto with a small glare. "They don't exactly have a shop for me in the school, so I have to make do with what I got. More importantly, what are you doing here!? All of you!?"

"Huh?" Nagito tilted his head to the side. "What's the matter, Soda-kun? You seemed happy when you saw Sonia-san."

"That's because Miss Sonia is different from you cretins! She's a hot princess, so she deserves the respect!"

"Look at this guy go." Hiyoko curled her lip in contempt. "Stop screaming so loudly, you loser."

"L-Loser…...?" Kazuichi was devastated by those words, and it showed. "I happen to respond better to praise, I'll have you know!"

Hiyoko huffed and looked away from him. "Like I care about something like that. You're just a loser with flashy clothes. Am I right? Don't bother answering, I know I'm right."

"T-There's a line you're not supposed to cross...!"

Naruto would have told Hiyoko to stop, but in this instance Kazuichi was the one to blame for starting it.

"Look, we need you to come with us," the Uzumaki said, cutting into their little argument. "We're planning something urgent."

Not really urgent, but whatever.

Kazuichi was hearing none of it, though. "Ha! Like I would ever go with you guys-"

Naruto went straight-faced. "Sonia is coming with us."

"Count me in!" Kazuichi ran for the group, changing his tune almost immediately.

Nagito was greatly amused by this. "You're mean, Uzumaki-kun."

"What?" Naruto feigned innocence. "I didn't lie."

And he hadn't, but...

Sonia, while lacking knowledge about certain common aspects of everyday life, was still able to pick up on Naruto's plan. "I do not know how I feel about being used like that, Naruto."

Naruto's shoulders dropped. "You're gonna play that card…...? Fine, fine. I'll make it up to you later. How does that sound?"

Sonia nodded, pleased. "I shall take you up on that."

Good. With that settled, to the next one they go!

* * *

Ryota was in high spirits as he made his way back to his dorm. There was a certain jump to his steps, making it seem like he was frolicking…...almost frolicking anyway. But why was he in such good spirits you might ask? That had to do with the bag of snacks he had bought from one of the stores inside the school grounds. Recently, Hope's Peak Academy had expanded massively with the new funds they'd acquired from the introduction of the Reserve Department or whatever. Ryota didn't pay that too much mind, as it had nothing to do with him. He was just happy with his junk food.

This was shaping out to be a great night!

"Ah, there he is!"

"Ibuki saw him first!"

"T'ch, stop trying to take all the credit, you overrated wanker!"

Ryota stopped when he saw that his dorm was practically surrounded by his so-called classmates.

"What the…...?" He nearly dropped his bag full of snacks, not sure what he was supposed to do now.

Naruto was happy to see him "We were starting to get tired of waiting. Good thing Nagito told us to wait."

"Oh, I just assumed Mitarai-kun was out doing some shopping is all," Nagito said, smiling from ear to ear. "He did seem to have a big appetite for Hanamura-kun's cooking yesterday."

Teruteru gushed at the compliment. "My cooking just makes everyone's undergarments fall off, hmm?"

Kazuichi twitched. "You should learn to phrase things better, man."

Naruto ignored their small back-and-forth and focused on Ryota instead. "It's sort of short notice, but you're coming with us, Ryota."

Ryota began to back away. "E-Erm…...I have other things that I need to-"

Naruto didn't let him finish. "Nekomaru, grab him!"

"ON IT!" The bulky team manager was on top of the poor Ryota in a split second, giving the animator no time to react.

"Wait, no! Let me go! I have anime I need to watch this afternoon!" Ryota could only scream as he was dragged off by the powerful Nekomaru, but it was pointless. There was no escaping Nekomaru's grip once you were caught.

Naruto nodded. "Alright, just one more person to captu-I mean, to talk to!"

"Too late to correct yourself," Fuyuhiko said, his eye twitching.

Teruteru hummed. "Uzumaki-kun has a rather mean streak, doesn't he?" He smiled widely. "It pleases my buddy greatly."

"Off button!" Kazuichi grabbed his head in pure horror. "You gotta have an off button, man!"

"Disgusting bastard," Fuyuhiko said under his breath.

But Teruteru laughed it off, enjoying their reactions quite a bit. They were so innocent, he thought to himself. Breaking them in would be so much fun!

…..moving on! To the final one.

* * *

Chiaki had no idea how long she had been walking around for, or where she was for that matter. With her attention so focused on her game, her overall awareness of her surroundings took a total nosedive. All she knew was that she was in one of the many beautiful courtyards surrounding the school, giving a more serene feeling to the atmosphere of the school. Not that she came here to appreciate the sights. No, more like she was here to sulk.

When she had first been accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, Chiaki had been excited. She could be around other people who were also very talented. That way, they wouldn't be put off with her gaming skills. With her love for games being the main focus in her life, Chiaki had tried to connect to others through them in the past. It all resulted in failure, though. Others resented her for being so skilled, and shunned her as a result of her talent. That's how it normally went for her. That's why she had hoped things would be different here. She hoped to finally make friends.

'That no longer seems possible, though…...' she thought absentmindedly, recalling how crazy her class was. They did whatever they wanted, and it didn't seem like they could connect as a group.

Chiaki recalled Ryota's words to the class earlier today, about how they didn't need to become a solidified group. With talent, they had everything. Chiaki couldn't be satisfied with that, though. She wanted something more than that. She didn't want to just be identified for her gaming talent, but as herself. As the person she was…...that's how she wanted others to see her.

Or was that too much to ask? The world seemed to be telling her yes, given that she couldn't even find a place to belong to at this abnormal school. How sad.

Chiaki decided to take her mind off those thoughts by starting another game, only for a hand to suddenly start waving in front of her face. The hand didn't belong to her, so who could it-?

"Yo, that's a rather sad look you got there," Naruto said, looking at the girl with some amount of concern.

Chiaki didn't know how to react. She hadn't been expecting to find Naruto of all people here, more so since he had been the one to skip class first. But then Chiaki noticed that Naruto wasn't alone, but that everyone else was with him too. Even Ryota, who seemed to be struggling against Nekomaru who was carrying him.

"I really don't want to walk anymore," Hiyoko complained, collapsing on the bench of the courtyard. "We've been walking everywhere all day!"

"Stop overreacting," Fuyuhiko said, growing tired of hearing the little girl complain so much.

"U-Um, are you sure you're okay?" Mikan asked, walking closer to the blonde. "I-If you need help, then-"

Hiyoko glared at her. "Stay away from me, you-"

"Hiyoko-chan~"

The blonde paled when she heard Naruto's sing-song voice. Remembering their promise, she huffed and looked away.

"I-I'm fine, alright. You don't have to worry about me, geez."

Mikan managed a smile. "I-I see. I'm happy to hear that."

Naruto was satisfied with that. Mahiru sweatdropped at the sight. It was almost like Hiyoko was Naruto's pet now. But if it meant that Hiyoko was more friendly and open toward the others, then Mahiru was more than happy to stand by Naruto's side on this.

"But she's got a point," Kazuichi said as he scratched his head. "Are we done now?"

"Nanami-san is the last one," Sonia replied, tapping her cheek in thought. "So I guess so."

"Last one?" Chiaki murmured, her mind still trying to catch up with everything that was happening. "What do you mean…...?"

"It means that we have all been gathered at last," Gundham said, his arms crossed over his chest. "The purpose for our meeting shall soon become apparent to you."

Nagito chuckled. "That sounds kinda ominous, don't you think?"

"Well, I haven't been told anything yet," Akane said, a hand on her hips. "And don't forget about our promise, Uzumaki!"

"Sheesh, I'm not." This girl was all about fighting, wasn't she? Naruto decided to bring the topic back to focus. "Most of you already know what we're here for. But for the few who don't, it's quite simple. We're going camping!"

"Huh?" Akane cocked her head. "Camping? Why?"

"Because we need to strengthen our bonds, that's why!"

The quick and simple answer was enough to make Akane understand.

"Well, I for one do not want to go camping!" Ryota stated from where he was being held. "I have anime I need to watch, and-!"

"The others already told me what you said back in the classroom," Naruto cut him off, frowning. "I believe you're totally wrong about the point of your talent, Ryota. It's not the endgame, and it isn't everything either."

"Huh!?" Ryota seemed to take that personally. "I don't want to hear that from someone who practically left on his own to do his own thing."

In that fraction of a moment, Naruto got the feeling that he was talking to someone else. Not Mitarai Ryota, the **Ultimate Animator** , but another person altogether.

…..weird.

The Uzumaki put that aside for now and replied, "Yeah, you're right. I did something inconsiderate to you all. I was only thinking about myself, and it ultimately led me to nothing." A look of determination took hold on Naruto's face. "That's why I want to make it up to you all. That's what this camping trip will be about. I'll be sure to show you just how wrong you are, and also apologize to you for being a hypocrite."

The firmness in Naruto's words was enough to make Ryota go silent. The others were in the same boat, not having been expecting something like this from the usual laid back and carefree blond.

Well, all except Nagito who was still able to voice his thoughts. "Hahaha, that's incredible, Uzumaki-kun! Those words of yours, and your conviction…...I'm sure they'll be able to lead everyone here to the true brightness that is hope, and make their talents shine further!"

Naruto got the impression that Nagito was misunderstanding something here, but before he could say anything, Fuyuhiko decided to speak up.

"While I don't agree with Komaeda's weird-ass words, I have to admit that that was pretty bold of you." Fuyuhiko shook his head and sighed. "Seriously. You _are_ one strange bastard. The strangest bastard I've ever met. I don't know why you feel like you owe us something, but if it means that much to you, then I have no problems going with you."

"But you know you want to go pretty badly~" Mahiru said, her voice taking a more teasing tone to it again.

Fuyuhiko was forced to blush in embarrassment once more. "E-Enough with that already! Goddammit!"

Nekomaru let out an exuberant laugh. "Hahahaha! Kuzuryu is correct! I'll also be able to get you started on your new training regiment! It's a win-win!"

"Heh." Akane smirked. "We still have to fight. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily!"

Sonia clapped her hands together. "Hmm! It'll be my pleasure to go for sure!"

Kazuichi sulked a bit. Even he had to admit that he had been moved by Naruto's words a little. "If Miss Sonia is going, there's no way I'm staying back."

Teruteru whistled in appreciation. "You can't leave me behind. Not after your words filled me with so much passion."

"I-Idiot," Hiyoko muttered, her face flushed. "Like Kuzuryu said, I-I guess I don't mind accompanying you either, Big Bro…..."

Peko smiled. "I also don't mind joining in the fun."

Ibuki appeared over Naruto's shoulder and started poking his cheek just like the day before. "Don't worry, Naruto-chan! Ibuki will make sure to write you a song that will make everything go smooth and dandy!"

Mikan pulled on Naruto's sleeve some, giving the blond a small smile.

"I-If you don't mind me, then I would also like to be by your side, Uzumaki-san..."

Gundham closed his eyes. "H'mph. So this is what fate has chosen. So be it."

A small smile tugged his lips, though, showing that he too was pleased about this.

"I didn't know you could be so charismatic, Uzumaki-san." Mahiru's expression was soft. She was glad to see that Naruto hadn't proven himself to be the total slacker she was thinking he was.

Ryota sighed. There was no use struggling by this point. Not after that. "Fine, I understand. I have no complaints…..."

Chiaki looked down at her handheld console, unsure of how to take all of this. Naruto had spoken so freely, so easily. He was the exact opposite of someone like her who could barely get her thoughts out there. In a way, it was frustrating, but also...nice to see. It was a strange feeling, and Chiaki wasn't sure she could put it into words. Not right now.

"What do you say, Chiaki?"

Those gloomy thoughts left her when she heard that question, addressed to her by Naruto. Looking up, she saw the others all staring at her, waiting for her response. Even Ibuki, who was still poking Naruto's cheek like it was the normal thing to do. Well, to her, it probably was.

It was at this point that Chiaki began to realize that perhaps she might have found a place for herself in this school, after all.

She smiled. There was only one answer she could give.

"Yes!"

* * *

"It seems like things went stellar, Naruto!" Sonia was even more excited about today's events than Naruto was. But that wasn't all that surprising. Having been sheltered all her life, burdened with her duty as a princess…...to be enjoying a normal everyday life like this was a dream come true for Sonia.

"You can say that again," Naruto said in return, going over the notes Nekomaru had handed him before they had all dispersed. The others needed to get ready for their trip, with Fuyuhiko having to locate an appropriate camping site for them. Good thing too since Naruto didn't know the country at all yet. Naruto was the one who was going to inform the headmaster of their little getaway as it was his plan. No surprises there.

No one had wanted to return to class either, at least not today. Naruto agreed with them. Koichi was probably passed out still. That's why it was better to just start getting ready instead. That said, Naruto still had another matter to take care of for today. Sonia had seemed interested in tagging along, so Naruto let her.

Kazuichi was practically glowing with jealousy when he saw this.

"That reminds me. What is it that you have to do now exactly?" Sonia asked, looking curious. "Does it have something to do with the trip?"

"You could say that." Naruto placed Nekomaru's notes in his bag, highly impressed with what the team manager had put together for him. Maybe it had to do with his talent, but Nekomaru had been able to correctly access just how much physical training he could handle and then some. He wanted to push Naruto to his very limit, and the blond was more than happy to meet the challenge head on. "I have to explain to my boss why I can't come to work for the rest of the week."

And it was his first day too. How shameless.

"Oh my!" Sonia gasped. "You have a job?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be a free loader, as fun as that might be. So I found myself a job when I came to the city."

He needed to pay for a new computer too. Stupid thing.

"How glorious!" Sonia flexed her arm, a natural quirk of hers. It was kind of cute. "I have heard that many Japanese youth have these 'part-time jobs' in order to make money. To think I would be able to experience such a thing…...oooooooohhh, my heart is trembling with excitement!"

Naruto had to sweatdrop at her words. "It's just a job, Sonia."

"I'm sure that is normal for you, but for me, the concept of a job is very alien." Her smile turned a bit sad here. "I'm sure you must know why."

"Hmm. I see." Naruto shrugged. "In that case, why don't you work alongside me today? I'm sure the boss wouldn't mind having you around either."

Even someone as dense as Naruto could see that a pretty girl like Sonia could attract a ton of costumers. It had been the same way with Ayame at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Really? You think so!?" Sonia's eyes began to sparkle in pure joy. "Oh, that will be amazing! I will not let you down!"

Naruto chuckled at her enthusiasm. It was better to see her this way than to have her thinking sad thoughts about her past.

The two **Ultimates** arrived at the ramen shop a little later, finding the place almost empty. The lunch time rush had more than likely ended by this point, so that was probably why. Or maybe this place just wasn't all that popular.

No way to tell right now.

The ramen shop was medium-sized, and it had decent design value. It was a lot more illustrious than Ichiraku Ramen, that's for sure. Compared to other places around here, it wasn't that fancy, though. Not that it really mattered to Naruto all that much.

"Yo, old man! Sorry to come in early, but I have some things I need to talk to you about!"

"Huh?" A fifty-something man approached the counter from the kitchen side. He wore a rather typical uniform for cooks. However, the outfit didn't stand out as much as Teruteru's. "You still lack manners, don't you? You're lucky I need you to work, or I wouldn't put up with that."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, about that…...I'm going to need some time off starting tomorrow."

"What was that!? Already!? What kind of place do you think this is!?" Before he could get too far into his rambling, though, he finally noticed Sonia standing next to Naruto, her face expressing her immense curiosity about everything around her. He instantly felt mesmerized by her. The few customers inside were all under the same spell, feeling like small ants compared to her. They all wanted to drop to one knee and swear their allegiance to her.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, not understanding why his boss had gone quiet. He expected a bigger verbal lashing than this.

"Naruto, Naruto!" Sonia pulled at his arm toward the kitchen. "What kind of food do they serve here!? Do you make it!? Can you show me!?"

Apparently Sonia hadn't been paying any attention to what was going on in front of her, too lost in her own world to do so.

It was here where the old man was able to break free from the spell. "Wait, what? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Oh?" Sonia took note of the question, and that it was directed at her. She bowed. "Good day to you, sir. My name is Sonia Nevermind. I am here to hopefully work in your fine restaurant for today."

"Say what?" Of all the answers he had been expecting, that had not been it.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Naruto said while scratching his cheek. "She's rather upfront about these kinds of things…..."

"It is the only way to go!" Sonia exclaimed with no shame at all.

"Wait a second." Narrowing his eyes, the shop owner studied their uniforms for a few moments. It then hit him. "You two…...you're students from Hope's Peak Academy!?"

The present customers, who were all listening in, gasped at the same time when they heard this.

"Well, yeah." Naruto still didn't seen the big deal with that.

The man nearly had a heart attack. "And you didn't tell me this yesterday because…...!?"

"Because it's not a big deal?"

"Not a big deal!?" The man was just about ready to smack his head on the counter at the lack of common sense he was seeing here. "How oblivious can you be, brat!?"

A blank look was his response.

"Is there a problem?" Sonia questioned, also not understanding what the commotion was.

The older man stared at them for a few seconds, trying to see if they were trying to play a prank on him or something. But he soon noticed that they were completely serious.

"Kids these days," he muttered under his breath. More loudly, he said, "Alright, kid. You and me, we are going to talk about these supposed days off. As for the miss here, if she wants to get her hands dirty so bad, then I don't mind humoring her."

Sonia nearly bounced off the walls in excitement.

"Yes! I will do my best!"

Naruto's face was full of unmasked mirth. Sonia's excitement was practically contagious.

So this was it. His classmates, his friends. Hope's Peak Academy.

Living here…...maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe.

* * *

 **Welcome back to another chapter of…...whatever this fun mess is. There's a couple of things I need to say.**

 **At this point, I'm aware that, no matter what choice I make in regards to the pairing, I'm going to annoy at least** _ **some**_ **people. Nothing I can do about that. That's why I'm going to do what I want and stick to my original plan and keep the pairing between Naruto and one girl. Who is that girl? That's for you to guess and for me to know until I reveal it. But yes, this shall not be a harem. My decision on this is final. If nothing else, it will make this story more personal. If this is a deal breaker to any of you, then my apologies. I just don't think a harem will work, nor do I think I can pull it off convincingly. I'm not that great of a writer.**

 **All that said, romance is not the main point of this story. It's about the friendship between Naruto and the 77th class first and foremost. How things can be different, or how they can stay the same. It will be wild, stupid, goofy, and just all around fun. Romance will have its moments too, as will the serious side of things. But all in good time.**

 **That's all for me. Thanks to all those who have been enjoying this so far. I hope you continue to do so. It's definitely fun to write for me.**

 **Till next time.**


	7. The Ultimate Camping Experience Part I

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:  
The Ultimate Camping Experience Part 1**

Kirigiri Jin started his day like any other day. He got up early, silently wishing for more sleep, washed and readied himself in one of his suits, and left his home for Hope's Peak Academy. He tried to be there as early as possible to set a good example to the rest of his staff. That is, unless he had other business that kept him away from his office, such as dealing with the board. With the participants of the dreadful experiment already being narrowed, there was much to do these days. As headmaster, he needed to oversee certain aspects of the experiment. Thankfully, he did not have anything planned like that today. Having to sit down and face those men, who were so sure of their "ultimate" power…...it was enough to make Jin sick to his stomach.

He decided to not dwell on such thoughts and instead focus on what the day would bring him. As he arrived at his office, he found his first surprise of the day waiting for him on one of the seats in front of his desk.

"Oh, so you're here…..."

Chuckling, Tengan said, "You don't sound particularly happy to see me."

"It's not that. You rarely come in early these days, or at all," Jin responded as he sat down on his comfortable chair behind his desk. "I wasn't expecting to see you today. Did something come up?"

"You could say that." Tengan handed him a piece of paper with crude handwriting on it. "I found this on your desk. It's from one of our new students."

Jin read through the paper quickly, his eye twitching as he did. "This is just…..."

Amusement was very clear on Tengan's face. "Yes. It seems Kizakura-kun's class will be making a trip on their own. Without their teacher."

Jin nearly slammed the paper on his desk. "What is that man doing, not looking after them properly!?"

"You should have expected this. Kizakura-kun isn't really the teaching type. When dealing with students, especially as wild as them, one must have a very…...peculiar personality to be able to keep up with them."

"That's no excuse."

"Well, it's not like anything can be done now," Tengan said. He'd already read the note himself. "I don't think we could stop them, even if we wanted to. Especially since it seems Uzumaki-kun is leading them."

The note had a very clear signature on it: the great and awesome Uzumaki Naruto, or so it said.

Jin looked around his office, trying to see if anything was out of place. "How did that boy get in here?"

Tengan had a key, which Jin had been kind enough to give him out of respect. It wasn't a privilege Tengan used much either. No other teacher had one, not even Koichi.

"Hahaha. It seems that boy is full of surprises," Tengan said, stroking his beard. "Given his title, I don't think we should be too dumbfounded."

Jin stood up from his seat and walked over to the window behind him, his hand tucked inside his pant's pocket.

"I was going to ask him to come in today, as a matter of fact. Though that option is no longer open it seems."

"Hm?" Tengan looked on with curiosity. "What for?"

"The committee wants to see his skills in person. They were going to have him complete a test for them, for their research. It was to be completed as soon as possible, they said."

"I see. Well, that does make sense. Unlike the others, his talent has yet to truly be seen by the world."

Jin kept his face blank, despite how amused he really was with this development. "It looks like they're going to be kept waiting."

Tengan didn't bother with appearances and laughed. "It would appear so…..."

It would annoy the committee greatly, and Tengan and Jin would both savor that annoyance.

Was it petty? Perhaps. Did they care?

Not one bit.

* * *

Nagito stood in front one of the great fountains surrounding Hope's Peak Academy, his eyes staring blankly at it. He had his bag at his side. He wore a pair of brown shorts with a plain white t-shirt underneath a simple olive hoodie. He was dressed for the outdoors, as today was the day he and his class would be going on their trip set up by Naruto.

The boy was having doubts about all of this, though, which was why he was here instead of meeting by the front gates like they had planned. Fuyuhiko had not only prepared a location for them, but was also providing them with a ride. He was the heir of the largest and most powerful yakuza organization in the country, so Nagito wasn't surprised that Fuyuhiko would be able to pull this off. It was more along the lines of, "as expected of Fuyuhiko" or something.

This wasn't what Nagito's current predicament was about, though. Even though Naruto had said that it was alright for him to go, Nagito wasn't sure if he should. Was he really worthy to be around the others? Maybe he was overstepping his bounds. He was nothing compared to all these great **Ultimates**. Just a lowly human. And yet, to be gifted the chance to have fun with them…...it was great luck indeed. But was it something he could do? More precisely, was it something he was _allowed_ to do?

"Hmm…...this is highly troubling," Nagito muttered absentmindedly, not sure what to do about this.

"Hm? What the heck are you doing here, Nagito?"

The **Ultimate Lucky Student** turned back to see none other than Naruto making his way to him. The blond was in sweats. The orange was enough to make anyone instantly notice him. Nagito could tell by now that Naruto's fashion sense was…...odd, and that was putting it mildly.

Nagito didn't comment on that and said, "Oh, Uzumaki-kun. What are you doing here? I thought you would be meeting with Kuzuryu-kun by the front gates."

"I got a text from Mikan," Naruto answered, pulling out his phone. It was through Sonia's suggestion the day before that they had all traded numbers with one another. Except for Akane who apparently didn't have a phone, saying it was too troublesome. Thankfully Nekomaru promised to make sure she was kept in the loop about their plans if anything changed. That girl would need a phone in the future, though. Naruto wasn't even from this world and he had one. He was still figuring out how everything worked, but he was getting there.

"Tsumiki-san?" Nagito seemed surprised. "Is something the matter?"

"Dunno, she wouldn't say anything specific." Even in text, the girl was a stuttering mess. Naruto pocketed the phone and said, "What about you? Shouldn't you be going to see the others by now?"

Nagito sighed and looked down. "To be honest, I'm having second thoughts about my participation on this trip of ours." He then smiled. "Ah, but it's nothing for you to concern yourself over. You don't need to worry over scum like me."

Naruto scratched his cheek and stared at Nagito with utter confusion. "Ya know, I've thought about this for a while, but…...you're really weird."

"Hahaha. That's the first time someone's told me that so bluntly." Nagito's smile widened a little. "It's somewhat refreshing, if I'm being honest."

"Yeah, you _are_ weird. But so is everyone else. I have no idea why you think you shouldn't go. Unless you just don't want to get along with the others."

"You really are straightforward, aren't you, Uzumaki-kun?" Nagito crossed his arms, his face displaying nothing but admiration right now. "I've been thinking about something myself for a while, and it was confirmed to me yesterday. You really are this group's leader."

"Leader?" Naruto thought about that for a moment, his mind trying to come to terms with what Nagito was implying. In the end, he only had one thing to say about that. "I don't think I'm anyone's leader. I'm just trying to get along with the others."

"Oh, but you must see it by now," Nagito insisted, not willing to back down from his point. "Little by little, the are others are starting to crowd around you. Through you, they have been able to come to together as one for today. If you weren't here, I don't think that would be possible."

"Maybe." Naruto was willing to admit that Nagito had a point there, but still. "I don't think it's a matter of being a leader or not. Everyone just needs a push in the right direction. Deep down, they're all good people. I'm sure they'll be able to form bonds with one another, with or without me."

"You say that with such certainty." Something flashed in Nagito's eyes, but Naruto couldn't tell what it was. Maybe more admiration? Or perhaps disagreement? "We've only known each other for two days. How can you be so certain of their character?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. It's just how I feel. And I've been told I'm an excellent judge of character. It's actually one of my better character points."

Nagito chuckled. "You really are fascinating, Uzumaki-kun. I can tell, you face everything with optimism."

Naruto had to think about that as well. It was almost like Nagito was making him reevaluate certain aspects of his life.

"I don't know about that," the blond said after a few moments. "Now, I can say that I have more hope than anything else. But in the past, it wasn't always like that."

"Oh?" Nagito leaned in a little closer. "What does that mean?"

Scratching his cheek, Naruto said, "It's not a big deal, but there was a time when I thought nothing of the future. I had no hope for anything. I didn't aspire for any goals. I just…..felt nothing but misery. I was only able to get out of that hole through the connections I was able to form." Naruto looked past Nagito toward the fountain where water continued to fall to the bottom. "Recently, something similar happened to me. I was forced to face the fact that I may be all alone again. Instead of letting that crush me, though, I've decided to look at the more positive side of things. It's what I've learned from the past. That's why I'm able to move on. That includes my friendship with the others, and you of course."

Nagito, who had listened to every word Naruto had to say, felt his emotions course through him again. He was positively elated right now.

"Hahahaha! That's absolutely wonderful, Uzumaki-kun! Even though you didn't tell me the full story, I was still able to see the strong hope that you have! It's better than I could have imagined!" Nagito sighed and looked down. "You are the exact opposite of me. I've never once thought about my future. I've been living my life with no true purpose in mind. How disappointing of me, isn't it?"

Naruto sweatdropped. "There you go again. Seriously. We need to get you to think things through before you say them."

"Hm? But I mean every word, Uzumaki-kun." Nagito shook his head. "Someone like me could never lie to you. It's just not possible. That's why you can trust my words. The hope you have in your heart…...I'm sure it'll be able to guide everyone else to even greater heights! As long as you continue to lead them, their talents will be able to shine to their absolute best! That is what I believe."

"Sheesh, you're putting too much faith in someone like me," Naruto said, shaking his head as well. "I'm just doing what I feel like. I have no true plan, or ulterior motive or anything." He walked around Nagito and closer to the fountain. "Now enough with all this serious talk. We have a fun week ahead of us. We won't be coming back till Friday. Get more excited!"

"So you really are okay with someone like me tagging along?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't make me repeat myself. It's annoying."

Before Nagito could respond, another voice reached them from afar.

"U-Uzumaki-san! I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting!" It was Mikan. She had chosen to wear a navy blue skirt, with her right leg and left arm all covered in bandages still, and a rather simple white t-shirt. She had a bag in hand too, just like Naruto and Nagito. It was a rather simple outfit, but Naruto still thought the girl looked pretty cute. Then again, all the girls in his class were beautiful in one way or another.

Naruto waved at her. "Hey, Mikan. Glad to see you could make it."

"Y-Yes!" The girl stopped in front of the boys, a hand over her heart. "It's the first time I'm doing something like this, s-so I'm really excited…..." Her eyes widened. "Aaaaaahhhh! But I should also stay focus, s-since I need to make sure everyone stays healthy! I can't lose sight of my goal!"

"You're stressing over nothing. The others can all handle themselves." Probably.

Nagito chuckled. "Still, if anything does come up, I feel better knowing Tsumiki-san is there to help us."

Mikan nearly shrieked, her head already coming up with every worst scenario on the planet. "I-I won't fail!"

Naruto was ready to smack Nagito upside the head. "You're not helping right now." Better to just move on before Mikan was mentally crushed under the pressure. "Anyway, do you need something before we leave?"

"A-Ah, yes! Thank you for reminding me!" Reaching into her bag, Mikan pulled out some sheets of papers and shyly passed them to Naruto, who took them with a curious look. "I-I was working on this all night…..it's a list of proper meals to a healthy diet."

This girl…...

Naruto lowered the papers and looked at Mikan with confusion. "Why would you do something like that…...?"

Mikan poked her fingers together. "Because…..I-I believe it's better if you don't eat ramen every day…..."

She took him serious yesterday?

"Mikan, you didn't have to take my words that serious, ya know," Naruto said sheepishly. "I do love ramen, yeah, and I try to it as much as possible. But even I've learned that I need vegetables and other sources of food in order to be healthy."

Sakura and Tsunade had drilled that into him, as had Jiraiya during their training trip. There was also his mother telling him to eat healthy. He couldn't say no to her.

Tears swell around Mikan's eyes. "T-Then…...I was just meddling, like I thought! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm so useless!"

"No, it's not like that either!" Time for damage control. "This is really helpful! Having your guide will probably help me out a lot more since you're an expert on this stuff!" Not a complete lie. Naruto had never bothered to learn about food science, or whatever it was called. He just ate what he could. It wasn't until later in life where he could be more picky. And in this situation…...

Mikan clutched her hands over her chest, still teary-eyed. "T-Then…I was able to help you…..?"

"Yeah." Naruto patted her on the head with a smile. "I appreciate this. I'll make sure to follow your advice as much as I can. I promise. And I never break my promises."

The way Mikan's face turned all bright was enough of a reward for Naruto.

Nagito, who had watched the back-and-forth with great enjoyment, chuckled and said, "Wow. It's almost like Tsumiki-san is your own personal nurse, huh, Uzumaki-kun?"

"Personal nurse…...?" Mikan repeated, her face turning thoughtful at that.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto didn't give Nagito's words too much thought, instead choosing to place Mikan's notes in his bag. To him, it was like Nagito was making a joke. Nothing to get too serious over.

Mikan didn't see it that way, though. "Yes! That must be it! I can be Uzumaki-san's private nurse!"

Naruto and Nagito went silent at her proclamation, neither boy knowing how to react. It didn't last long, though, as Nagito broke down in laughter.

"Hahaha. I see, I see."

Naruto quickly grabbed the laughing Nagito by his hoodie and brought him closer.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing!?" the blond hissed. He didn't want Mikan worrying about unnecessary things.

"I honestly didn't think she would take me seriously," Nagito admitted, mirth dancing in his eyes. "But now that she has, you can't turn her down, can you? You're a nice guy, right, Uzumaki-kun?"

This guy…...

"I-Is something the matter?" Mikan asked, looking worried. "Did I say something I shouldn't have…...?"

Sighing, Naruto let Nagito go and scratched the back of his head. A part of him was seriously questioning whether or not to go through with this. But the rest of him knew there was nothing wrong with it either. Mikan was a nice girl. She just wanted to help others. She would probably offer her support like this to anyone who needed. There really was no reason for him to turn her down and crush her spirits like that.

"No, it's okay. If you want to be my nurse and help me out on my diet, then I don't mind. Helping each other is what friends are all about."

Mikan's face brightened again. "Y-Yes! That's it! I won't let you down, Uzumaki-san! I promise to always give you lots of shots if you need them!"

Naruto paled. "Oi, oi. Let's not be hasty now."

Nagito meanwhile was shaking his head. "You really are a sneaky one, Uzumaki-kun. Or do you not understand what's happening here…...?"

After picking up his bag, Naruto glanced at Nagito. "What are you talking about now?"

"Ah." Nagito was beginning to put it all together. "I see. I understand what kind of guy you are now, Uzumaki-kun."

"Okay?" Naruto had no idea what the guy was talking about, so he didn't pay too much thought to it. "Anyway, we should get going. We don't want to be late for the meeting, do we?"

"Absolutely not!" Mikan said, looking determined. "I have prepared everything we might need!"

She wasn't going to let her class down!

Naruto waved her off. "Seriously, Mikan. You need to take things less seriously sometimes….."

As the two began to walk toward the main gate, Nagito stayed back for a bit, his eyes focused solely on Naruto's retreating form. His theory had been right, after all. Naruto really was someone that could bring about the change he wanted. To be so close to that, to be able to see it with his own two eyes…...

'Hahahaha! I really am lucky!'

With those hopeful thoughts in his heart, Nagito picked up his bag and followed after the retreating pair.

This trip was going to be very fun for him.

* * *

At the front gates, Fuyuhiko was getting ready to strangle Kazuichi, no questions asked. Why? Because having to hear the mechanic gush over Sonia had long since become too unbearable to stand for him.

"Man, I can't wait to see what Miss Sonia looks like while she's wearing casual clothes," Kazuichi said, his cheeks red. His imagination was his limit, and he could imagine quite a bit.

For today, Kazuichi had chosen to wear a pair of blue ripped jeans and a bright purple sport jacket. Despite the season, it was still a bit chilly out.

Fuyuhiko was draped in another dark suit. It's the style he was most comfortable with, even when out doing something physical.

There were two black SUV's parked out beside them, both belonging to the Kuzuryu clan. They were able to fit nine people each, which was perfect for them. The cars were here to take them to their destination. There were drivers for them both, the two men in suits being members of the Kuzuryu clan. Inside the cars, tents and other supplies had been packed. Fuyuhiko had made sure to plan for everything. Embarrassingly, he was kinda looking forward to this. It was the first time he was hanging out casually with teens his age.

Better not dwell on that, though.

"Would you shut up about that already?" Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head. "Start thinking about something else. It'll be good for you."

"Don't be like that!" Kazuichi said. He felt a bit more comfortable being around Fuyuhiko now than before, probably because Fuyuhiko had shown a more friendly side yesterday. "We're high school students! We have to enjoy every opportunity that comes our way!"

"Every opportunity, huh?" Fuyuhiko had to smirk a little here. "Does that mean you're hoping for something to happen during this trip?"

"That's exactly it!" Kazuichi practically squealed as his mind went into overdrive due to all the fantasies running in his head. But then he pointed an accusing finger at Fuyuhiko. "Ah, but Miss Sonia is off limits! I don't care who you go after, but you can't betray me!"

"Betray you?" Fuyuhiko sighed and looked away. "Don't be stupid."

Kazuichi scratched his cheek and looked at Fuyuhiko with curiosity. "Oh? Does that mean you're gunning for someone else?"

"You really are an idiot."

Kazuichi grinned. "Awww, don't be like that. You can tell me who it is. Everyone catches feelings. There's no shame in that!"

"Seriously, shut up."

"Tell me~"

"No."

"You stingy bastard~"

Fuyuhiko's eye twitched, but he didn't rise to the bait. He felt he would lose some of his dignity if he let someone like Kazuichi rile him up.

"Oh my, my, my! What a fun duo!"

The two boys barely caught sight of Ibuki who sprinted up to them before dropping her bag next to the cars. She was dressed in her usual outlandish getup, personally designed. All purple, black, and white. Just her colors.

"Ibuki was expecting to be here first!" the girl said excitedly with an arm raised.

"There's no way you can beat me in excitement!" Kazuichi fired back. "It's the first time I'm going on a trip like this. I've got to make sure everything goes perfect!"

The mechanic wasn't shy about admitting to any of that.

"Hmm. Ibuki understands quite well." Ibuki crossed her arms and nodded to herself. "Ibuki felt the same way when Ibuki first went camping with Ibuki's friends. It was quite fun."

Fuyuhiko bowed his head a little. 'Idiots…...already calling one another friends….'

He had to hide his smile.

Kazuichi scratched his cheek. "Huh. I guess it is kinda natural for people to go camping, huh? Especially with friends."

"Indeed!" Ibuki raised her arm again. "However, Ibuki intends to make this one better than before! You always have to make goals, otherwise you won't succeed!"

Kazuichi backed away from the excited girl a little, chuckling weakly. Ibuki had more energy than he could handle honestly.

After that, Mahiru and Hiyoko arrived together, the former sporting some form-fitting shorts and t-shirt while the latter was in another one of her fancy kimonos.

The others, including Mahiru, shook their heads in dismay at this fact.

Peko trailed after them soon after, sword in hand, followed by Nekomaru, Akane, and Teruteru who all arrived together. Akane was munching on some meat, which had been prepared for her by Teruteru.

"Hmhmhmhmm." The cook hummed, pleased to see the gymnast wolfing his food down. "It always brings great joy to my heart to see people enjoy my cooking."

Hiyoko snickered. "To already be this hungry so soon…...what a meathead."

No matter what, she could never stop teasing people. It was just the way she was.

Akane ignored her outright, preferring to eat her food instead. She was nearly crying. It was the best meal she'd ever had.

Nekomaru chose not to comment, too busy making sure Akane didn't choke. At the speed she was devouring that piece of meat, it was highly likely.

Gundham chose to stroll on in next, a huge bag in hand as well. He was more or less in the same getup when they first met him. Like Ibuki, he liked to accessorize all his clothes. It just made him feel more comfortable that way.

Kazuichi noticed something. "You're bringing your hamsters too?"

"That is right." Gundham didn't face him to answer, instead choosing to place his bag by the cars just like others had. "It's been some time since they've come across a new challenge. They have to be tested once more."

Despite his words, just about everyone knew that there was no way he was going to let anything happen to his hamsters. It was just obvious.

Well, maybe Akane didn't. But she was more focused on the last few pieces of meat in front of her to care.

Chiaki arrived just as a black limousine pulled over by the gates, surprising everybody.

"Huh? What is this?" Hiyoko asked the question on everybody's mind. "Did someone call a limousine or something?"

Her question was answered a moment later when Sonia stepped out with the driver coming around to pull out her belongings. Her face brightened when she saw the others.

"Everyone! It is nice to see you!"

Kazuichi's eyes sparkled. "Miss Sonia! I'm so glad you made it!"

Mahiru gaped at the limousine. "Did you really have to come in that, though?"

Sonia bowed. "My apologies. This is just the transportation my parents found to be the most acceptable for me during my time here."

"I don't mind it!" Kazuichi shot her a thumbs up. "It's pretty cool!"

"Disgusting," Hiyoko muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Fuyuhiko sighed and took charge again. "Whatever. It looks like almost everyone is here by now."

Peko looked around. "We're only missing Mitarai-san, Tsumiki-san, Komaeda-san, and Naruto-san."

Fuyuhiko opened his mouth to say something, but loss his train of thought when he spotted Ryota heading for them with a pile of food in hand. A _huge_ pile of food…..junk food to be exact. Chips, sodas, hamburgers, the like.

Akane's nose instantly twitched and was led to Ryota. "Woah." She had to whistle. "That's a lot of food you got there." She grinned. "Wanna share?"

"I think not." Ryota's answer was short and to the point. But then he added, "This is going to be my lifeline during our time in that jungle. I need to be prepared at all costs."

Kazuichi deadpanned. "It's only camping, dude."

"I'm also going to be doing all the cooking," Teruteru pointed out, looking at all the junk food with unease. For someone like him, this was just the worst.

Ryota was having none of it. "As I recall, you didn't bring any supplies with you, right?"

Teruteru poked his fingers together, ashamed. "Y-Yes…..but that's only because Uzumaki-kun told me not to!"

"That fiend," Gundham said, his arms crossed, "I wonder what he plans to do?"

"I'm sure it's going to be fine," Chiaki said, deciding to speak for the first time. "Besides, I brought a lot of games with me that we can play. So everything is going to be alright."

Mahiru smiled uneasily. "Umm…..food and games are two separate things, you know."

"Hm? I know." Chiaki tilted her head. "But if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose games."

"That's only because you're a game freak," Hiyoko said in a dry tone.

Chiaki didn't look insulted at all. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Hiyoko was too baffled to say anything else.

"Hey! It looks like everyone made it!"

Speak of the devil. Naruto finally made his appearance with Nagito and Mikan right behind him.

Fuyuhiko scowled a bit. "The one who plans this is the last one to arrive. Way to go."

"Ah." Nagito smiled. "I think that may have been my fault. We got caught up talking. I apologize to everyone for the inconvenience."

"It's not," Mahiru said, hands on her hips. "We just got here ourselves. Kuzuryu is just being over dramatic for no reason."

Fuyuhiko t'ched but didn't chew her out. "Whatever. We need to get a move on if we're going to find a good camp site before it starts getting dark."

Naruto waved him off. "Calm down, Fuyuhiko. We have plenty of time. We just have to enjoy ourselves."

Peko crossed her arms and said, "You say that, but I hear that you didn't have food prepared for us. What are we going to eat?"

Naruto turned to her and was somewhat surprised to see the swordswoman in a cute floral shirt and dark jeans. It gave her a different vibe than before. It certainly made her look cuter than normal.

"I didn't think you were into flowers, Peko. But it suits you."

Peko nearly blushed at this. "T-That…it's not important right now."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "She's always had a more girlish side like that."

"Huh?" Sonia glanced at Fuyuhiko with curiosity. "Always? Do you two know each other?"

Realizing his mistake, Fuyuhiko mentally cursed and tried to recover, "N-Not really, no. I just saw her sometimes during different kendo competitions. Many young clan members participated in them from time to time, so I checked them out too."

Something in Naruto's gut was telling him that there was more to that story than what Fuyuhiko was saying, but there was no way to know for sure.

Gundham was more focused on something else entirely. "There's something else we need to discuss. And that's about our supplies on this excursion. What are you-"

"Geez, take it easy, guys." Naruto dropped his bag next to the other ones. At this point, the drivers started to put them in the cars as everyone was already here. "We'll have everything we'll need out there when we're camping."

"Wait, you expect us to get our own food!?" Hiyoko shouted with wide eyes.

Naruto shrugged, not seeing the problem. "Yeah. As long as we get the ingredients, Teruteru can cook it for us, right?"

Teruteru ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "That is true. There's nothing I can't cook. Just get me the ingredients I need, and I'll have your panties drop."

No one commented on that. They were at that point where they were starting to sort of get used to each other's quirks.

"Hunting, huh?" Nekomaru grunted and nodded. "It does sound like it can be fun."

Gundham cackled. "Fuhahahahaha! Relying on just our natural wits and skills…truly, this is a challenge worth my time!"

"It does sound like fun!" Sonia's eyes were sparkling as she practically squealed. "I will make sure to not fall behind!"

Kazuichi scratched the back of his head, looking indecisive about what to say. "W-Well…if Miss Sonia is okay with it, then I guess it's fine…"

Mikan poked her fingers together. "I-I will make sure to give it my all too…."

Ibuki was bouncing in place. "Ibuki will put her skills to the test! If not, shame shall befall Ibuki's honor!"

Mahiru tried to placate her. "You don't have to go that far…."

Hiyoko pouted. "This is gonna be a pain…"

"Hm?" Chiaki, who was already on another game, briefly looked up. "I think it's fine…maybe."

She didn't have any experience with camping, which was why she was more than willing to leave this up to the others.

Ryota wasn't all that thrilled about this development, though, but at least he had brought plenty of snacks with him. That should keep him alive…...hopefully.

Nagito chuckled. "Yes, that does make a camping trip a lot more fun."

"As long as we get food, then I don't care," Akane said. She then looked at Naruto. "But you gotta remember our deal! We gotta have that fight!"

"I haven't forgotten, Akane. I'll make sure to give you the ass-whooping you looking for."

Akane growled but kept herself in check. She would made the blond eat his words later.

"Can we finally get a move on now?" Fuyuhiko made his way over to the lead car, shaking his head as he did so.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto trailed behind him, picking the lead car as well.

Mikan was quick to follow him, sticking by his side like glue. Mahiru and Hiyoko followed next, as did Sonia and Gundham. Seeing this, Kazuichi tried to get inside too, only to be beaten to the punch by none other than Nagito.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Soda-kun. I didn't think you were going to sit here." To his credit, Nagito sounded very genuine.

The mechanic looked like he was just smacked in the face. He glanced past Nagito to inside the vehicle. There, he saw Sonia seated next to Gundham, talking excitedly about something.

He needed to be in there goddammit!

Fuyuhiko, who had taken the passenger's seat next to the driver, scowled and pointed to the other car. "Just get in the other car, Soda. There's room in that one."

Kazuichi nearly whimpered as he turned to the second car, his shoulders sagging.

Nagito watched him go and frowned a little. "I feel like I've done something bad here…."

Naruto poked his head out and grinned. "Na, don't worry about it. He's just mad he can't sit next to Sonia."

The guy was desperate for sure. It made Naruto wonder if Sonia knew about Kazuichi's intentions. She had to have some kind of clue, right? It was pretty obvious, after all. If it was him, he would know right away!

"Ah, I understand." Nagito stepped inside with the others. "I'll have to apologize later then."

Mahiru shook her head. "I don't think Sonia minds….."

The blonde princess was too busy gushing over the trip to comment.

And so, it was Naruto, Mikan, Fuyuhiko, Sonia, Gundham, Mahiru, Hiyoko, and Nagito in the first car. In the second, it was Chiaki, Teruteru, Kazuichi, Peko, Akane, Nekomaru, Ibuki, and Ryota.

The trip was officially beginning!

* * *

"I know it's probably a little late to be asking this, but where are we going exactly?"

Fuyuhiko smirked and answered Mahiru with, "I chose one of the best spots near us. It's got a lake, bike trails, and even a nearby mountain for hiking."

"I don't think anyone brought a bicycle with them," Mahiru said, humming in thought. Her face lit up. "Still, it sounds like it's a great place. I can't wait to take pictures of everyone there."

Nagito smiled. "Ah, that's right. From what I've heard, you prefer taking pictures of people more than anything else, right?"

"Yeah." Mahiru looked down at her camera, which she carried with her at all times. It was her pride and joy. "I think capturing every moment, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, is very important. We have to make the best of ourselves….that's what I try to capture in my photos."

"That is glorious." Nagito's face was full of excitement. "You have a strong hope inside you, Koizumi-san. I am happy to be able to see it in person like this."

"Ah…..umm…hahaha, thanks…I guess." Mahiru didn't know what to say to that, so she merely tried to laugh.

Hiyoko on the other hand did have something to say. "Gross. Stop being such a creep already. It's gonna make me barf."

Nagito's face didn't lose any excitement. "My apologies. I said whatever was on my mind. I'm sure it was annoying for you."

In the back, Naruto shook his head. Nagito was still so weird.

Mikan, who had made sure to seat herself next to Naruto, glanced at him with curiosity. Why? Well, for one thing, Naruto had a book in hand. And he was reading it. Mikan didn't like to make judgements about other people if she could help it. That just guaranteed trouble for her. Still, in the short time she had come to know Naruto, she had never pegged him as the reading time. Not to mention…..

"U-Umm….Uzumaki-san…?"

Looking up from his book, Naruto noticed Mikan giving him a strange look. "Something the matter, Mikan?"

"I-It's not that…..I-it's just…...why are you reading a book about ancient warfare?"

"Ah." Naruto shut his book for a moment. "I was curious about the type of fighting that existed around here, so I looked up some stuff online with my phone." He was finally able to do that, thank the ramen god. "Sonia suggested some stuff to me too."

"Sonia-san did?"

Said girl smiled. "I'm glad I was able to be of assistance, Naruto!"

Gundham was curious now. "You apparition. Why do you desire to know about war?"

Mahiru had a sour look on her face. She wasn't all that fond about any topics relating to war. It was a semi-sensitive issue for her, after all.

Naruto thought about it for a moment and said, "Well…it's like I told you guys before. I'm not from around here. My village is very secluded from this world. They don't exactly bother to teach us anything about society here. I'm kinda ignorant on just about everything here, so I'm trying to remedy that."

Reading still sucked, though. He was having a hard time understanding a lot of the stuff the book was covering. He was more of a hands-on learner than anything else. That said….he was already seeing just how horrific the past was in this world. War after war, conflicts repeating themselves over and over again. It was like humans here never learned their lessons.

'Then again, neither did the shinobi until it was too late…'

"Most people wouldn't start with something like ancient battles and military tactics, ya know," Fuyuhiko said, finding it weird that that was the first thing the blond decided to look at.

Naruto shrugged. "It looked…...interesting?"

It wasn't exactly a lie…..he was just curious about how peace was handled in this world, or how it was met with failure at every turn.

Mikan started to fiddle with her hands nervously. "Y-You're not a fan of war, are you, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto snorted at the question. "Me? No way. I'm on the opposite side of that. I just want to live a peaceful life and become-"

He stopped himself there.

Mikan stared at him with curiosity. "Become what?"

Naruto turned away to look out the window of the car. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Gundham h'mphed. "Such fraudulence. I believe you should practice what you preach and be more honest."

Turning back to look at them, Naruto laughed and placed his hands behind his head. "Na, it's cool. I'm here with you guys now. That's what we should be focusing on."

The others bought it, except for Mikan. To her, that laugh was absolutely fake. She would know.

She did it all the time, after all.

* * *

It took them a few hours before they were able to reach their campsite. There were facilities posted nearby where they could buy anything if necessary, but that wasn't Naruto's plan.

They were doing this all-natural-e!

But before any of that could get started, Naruto was grabbed by his shirt the moment he stepped out of the car. His assailant was none other than Akane who was glaring daggers at him.

"Alright, we're here, blondie. It's time for our fight!"

Hiyoko looked annoyed. "Stupid. You're such a hypermedia, Owari. It's annoying!"

"Hyper-….s'what? What is that? Some kind of food? Is it tasty?"

This girl…

"Slow down your horses, Akane." Naruto pulled himself out of her grasp with ease, surprising Akane a bit. "We still have to find a great spot for us to set camp. Then we can start talking about me whooping your ass to next week."

Akane growled, greatly annoyed. She didn't like being underestimated, not one bit. "Why you-!"

"Let it go, Owari." Nekomaru stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he did. "Otherwise, Imma get involved right now and put an end to this."

Instead of making Akane back down, that put a grin on her face. "Heh, sounds great to me! Just bring it on! I'll take both of you on at the same time!"

Hiyoko was about to smack her forehead in frustration. "She's so stupid!"

"So annoying," Kazuichi muttered.

For once, the two agreed about something.

"You fuckers better cut it out!" Fuyuhiko shouted, drawing attention to him. He raised his fist. "This is no time to be fucking around. We have stuff to get done!"

Teruteru rubbed his chin, his eyes dancing with pleasure. "Taking charge like that…..so marvelous…"

Ibuki shuddered. "SOOOOOO GRRRROOOOOOSSSSS!"

Mikan was just watching with fearful eyes, not knowing what was gonna happen here. She didn't want a fight to break out this fast. The others were sort of tense too, at least until the point where Naruto suddenly had Akane pinned to the ground with just one foot.

"What the-!" Kazuichi's eyes were wide right now. "How did that just happen!?"

Peko narrowed her eyes. 'As I thought….he's well-versed in hand combat as well….'

Akane, not realizing her position until a few moments later, began to struggle under the blond's grasp. "What the hell is this!? Let me go, blondie!"

Naruto didn't budge, though. "Not yet. Not until you behave yourself. We're all here to have a good time, Akane. Don't just start doing things on your own, or you'll cause friction for the group. And I can't have that. It would just be a pain in my ass."

"W-What did you just say….!?"

"I said your attitude is problematic." Naruto didn't hesitate to double down on his point, putting more pressure on his hold. "You're not on your own anymore. You have friends. We're one group. And when someone starts straying off and doing stuff on their own, it will cause problems. None of us need that right now. Got it?"

Akane struggled for a few more seconds but was forced to ultimately give in. She loved to fight, yes. But she wasn't delusional at all either. She could tell already. She could tell Naruto outclassed her. It was like she was facing Nekomaru all over again. Another person she couldn't beat. It made her excited, knowing there were stronger people out there. She just needed to become stronger then! But at the same time, deep down, she appreciated what the blond was saying.

The others felt the same way too, especially Nagito who was grinning at the sight.

'It's just as I thought…..the shining hope that will lead all the **Ultimates** to an even greater hope…..'

He might have just found it.

* * *

Once Akane was settled down and on track with the plan for the time being, the sixteen **Ultimates** unloaded their supplies from the cars with the help of the drivers. Fuyuhiko sent them off after that, saying that they could take it from here.

It was just them now.

Sonia squealed as the group began to march toward the forest, looking for a suitable place to set up their camp.

"This is marvelous! Nature is quite beautiful!"

Hiyoko stayed close to Mahiru, eyeing everything around her with suspicion. "Easy for you to say. This place is filthy."

"It is the outdoors….." Kazuichi mumbled, not knowing what the girl was expecting to see.

Ryota glanced around. "Are there going to be another people around?"

"I would suspect so," Nagito said in return. He hummed. "But then again, knowing Uzumaki-kun, he might have asked Kuzuryu-kun to choose a secluded spot."

"At least we saw those facilities nearby," Mahiru pointed out. "If anything goes bad, we can really on them."

"H'mph, foolish," Gundham said, his red eye glowing. "This is a test of survival! We should not rely on mere outsiders to help us!"

"Speak for yourself," Kazuichi said under his breath, slightly glaring at the breeder for walking next to his princess.

"Well, we'll be able to buy snacks at least." That's all Ryota cared about really.

Chiaki looked up from her game to say, "Is that really camp-like?"

"I don't think you should be asking that, considering you brought video games with you," Mahiru said, sweat dropping.

Chiaki considered that point for a moment before shrugging. "I've never been camping before, so I'm not sure what to expect."

"Do not worry, Nanami-san!" Sonia was next to her in a flash, holding the girl's hand with her own. "It is a first for me too! We shall learn together!"

Chiaki appreciated the encouragement.

"Man, forget all that," Akane whined. "I'm just hungry."

"I gave you a whole meal back at school!" Teruteru exclaimed, wide-eyed. "And you're hungry already!?"

"Heh." Nekomaru scoffed. "She's a bottomless pit. You gotta expect that from her."

While the group was busy talking amongst themselves, Naruto, Fuyuhiko, Mikan, Ibuki, and Peko were up front. Fuyuhiko had a map in hand which detailed the area they were in. Naruto was looking over it while Mikan stuck close to him. Peko was just curious to see what spot the boys would decide on, and Ibuki was still poking Naruto's cheeks whenever she could.

It was just her thing now.

"That's the lake you were talking about, right?"

"Yeah. It's down to the edge of the camping grounds. I hear you're allowed to go swimming if you want to."

Ibuki laughed. "Trying to see the girls in swimsuits? So bold, Fuyuhiko-chan!"

"T-That's not what I meant!" His cheeks were slightly red, though.

Naruto took this into consideration. "I'm sure the others would like that. But it'd be nice if we were farther in. Are there any streams nearby?"

Fuyuhiko looked at the map. "Hmm…there seems to be one located right in the middle of the forest."

Naruto's eyes scanned the stream in question on the map. From the looks of things, it seemed to run from the base of the mountain nearly all the way to the lake. Like Fuyuhiko said, it ran right through the middle of the forest.

That was perfect.

Looking around for a moment, Naruto stopped and gestured to Akane.

"Yo, Akane. I need a favor from you."

"Eh?" Akane didn't like the sound of that one bit. "What do you want? I'm starving, ya know."

Naruto smirked. "I need you to locate the best path to a nearby stream for us. If you do that, we can set up a lot quicker and have Teruteru cook something up for you too."

That was enough to motivate the girl. "Alright, leave it to me!"

She took off running, her skirt fluttering in the wind.

Fuyuhiko was confused. "What the hell was that for? We do have a map, ya know."

"Yeah, but she looked like she was about to fall over," Naruto responded. "Keeping her moving is the best way to make sure she's motivated."

Nekomaru chuckled. "Not bad. You seem to be able to handle her well."

"I used to be a lot like that too, so I kinda get it."

"Used to be?" Mahiru's face was amused. "I'd say you still are."

"Hey! I could be worse!"

"Awwww, don't worry, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki pinched his cheek. "We still love you, even though you're crazy and kinda dumb."

Naruto sulked while the others began to laugh.

Horrible, all of them!

It didn't take them that long to reach the stream thankfully, with Akane leading them. From there, it was only a matter of finding the best spot along the running water. There was a nice clearing that Nagito was able to spot for them, which they deemed good enough.

Lucky them.

They quickly set off to placing their tents, one for the guys and one for the girls.

Kazuichi was devastated. There went one of his fantasies of sleeping next to Sonia….and smelling her hair. Damn the world.

Teruteru got to work in bringing out his cooking supplies as well, since they would be needed.

Akane was drooling as she watched the cook set up his stuff. "What's on the menu for today, Hanamura!? Meat!?"

"Hmm." The short boy rubbed his chin in thought. "It depends on what Uzumaki-kun brings me. Once I have the ingredients, I can have a better idea of what to do with them."

"You don't have to worry about that," Naruto said as he joined them. He was twirling a kunai in hand with his pouch strapped to his side. "I'll make sure to gather a lot of stuff for you."

Nagito noticed the weapon and said, "That's impressive, Uzumaki-kun. You have tools too?"

"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't be a ninja without them, right?"

Mahiru eyed the weapon with some sense of apprehension. "Are you sure you can handle that thing? It wouldn't end well if you end up hurting yourself…."

"I-I would patch up Uzumaki-san if that happened!" Mikan shouted out, determined.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Have some more faith in me, guys. I've been around weapons like this for years." He then lowered his head. "If only I had brought more…..Imma have to make sure not to lose any of them, or I'll be in trouble."

It wasn't like any blacksmith were around.

Nagito crossed his arms. "Is that so? I think I might have a solution for you when we get back to Hope's Peak, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Let's start talking about the food dammit!" Akane exclaimed, her drool growing the more she thought about it.

"We just have to hunt some animals, right?" Sonia said, placing a hand under her lips. "Can we do that…...?"

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "There are no rules against it around here, as far as I'm aware."

"We're gonna have to split up," Naruto said, drawing up his plan. "One group is gonna have to collect any edible plants around here, or anything else you can find."

"Huuuuuh!?" Hiyoko's face was aghast. "There's no way I can do something like that!"

Naruto gestured to Mikan. "I'm sure Mikan here can help us with that. Her medical knowledge will be a real handy tool for us."

"H-Huh?" Mikan's eyes went wide. She was appalled that Naruto would ever suggest something like that. "I can't do something like that…! If I made a mistake, then-!"

"Sheesh, have more confidence in yourself." Naruto placed a hand on her head, effectively silencing her. "We all trust your abilities here. There's no reason to be afraid."

Sonia flexed her arm. "Naruto is correct!"

Gundham glanced to the side. "You are the group's healer. Accept the role or begone."

Mahiru sweatdropped. "You don't have to put it like that…."

At least he was trying.

Ibuki excitedly raised her arm. "Ibuki will make sure to lend a hand!"

Naruto's eyes went to the others. "Peko-chan, Nekomaru, Gundham, and Akane. You're with me. I'd like some people to help Mikan, too…..."

"Oi, Ibuki just said Ibuki would help, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki pouted a little. "Ignoring a lady is really unmanly!"

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. I heard you. I'd just like other people to help beside you two."

Nagito stepped forward. "I wouldn't mind lending a hand. It sounds like it could be fun."

"And I will as well," Sonia said, her eyes sparkling. "I won't let you down!"

"I-If Miss Sonia is going, then I guess I have no problem helping either," Kazuichi said while he scratched his cheek nervously. His confidence was lacking, but he was still going.

Naruto nodded. "There ya go, Mikan. You can tell them which stuff is edible and which isn't."

Teruteru let out a small whistle. "You can ask me too, just to make sure. I know my way around the wild, if I do say so myself."

"Strange," Peko said. "I thought you weren't from rural areas?"

"W-Who said anything about that?" Teruteru shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "A chef just has to know as much as he can! That's all!"

Nekomaru picked his ear. "Sounds suspicious."

"W-Well, it's the truth!" Teruteru turned to his cooking tools. "Anyway, you guys should get going. Otherwise, there won't be any food tonight."

Akane took off running like a bolt.

"Idiot," Nekomaru said. "She doesn't even know where we're going."

Mahiru placed her hands on her camera. "I guess I'll be taking a look around. See what's around with my eyes."

"I'll be coming with you, Big Sis." Hiyoko's eyes went to Ryota, Fuyuhiko, Teruteru, and Chiaki who remained. They weren't exactly a fun bunch in her opinion.

"I guess we're holding the camp," Fuyuhiko said and looked at those who remained.

Ryota was trying to open one of his bags of chips, Chiaki was busy playing her game, and Teruteru who was just…...Teruteru.

At least there was no danger coming. Otherwise, they'd be screwed.

The groups split off to gather the supplies, with Mahiru and Hiyoko going on their walk.

* * *

With Naruto's group, Akane was jumping on the trees over them, ready to catch their first prey.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Peko wondered, her sword hanging loosely behind her. "I don't think we're going to have that many big animals around here."

"Good question." Naruto's scanned the area, looking for anything of interest. "We're just gonna have to see what's available around here."

Gundham did the same, his eyes studying the trail. "Hmm…..my Four Dark Devas of Destruction aren't reporting anything of note yet either…..."

Naruto's head whipped to him in less than a second. "Are your hamsters actually going out tracking!?"

Gundham nearly fell back in surprise. "U-Uh, yes….?" For once, he didn't sound sure of himself, and that was saying something.

"I knew they were different from normal animals, but that's pretty cool." Naruto had seen many sentient animals before, but hamsters was a first for him.

Gundham fell into a fit of laughter. "Kekekekeke. It's only natural you would fall for the glamour of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction. You, of a lower class…...!"

Naruto twitched. "It still pisses me off when you say that…..."

Nekomaru and Peko watched from the side, highly amused.

"Heeeeeeeyyyyy!" Akane suddenly appeared on a tree branch over them, her face filled with excitement. "I found some rabbits! And deer! What do you say we gut them!?"

Morbid.

The group took off running with great speed with Akane guiding them. They came upon a clearing real fast, with Naruto and Peko spotting the rabbits in question to the side. Some deer were on the move the moment they set food inside the clearing.

"You ain't getting away from me!" Akane shouted as she shot like a bullet for the deer.

Naruto acted fast and pulled some shuriken from his pouch. Peko saw this, her eyes gleaming with interest. The blond sent the shuriken flying toward the running animals with ease. Akane had to stop when she noticed the small weapons flying ahead of her. The deer came falling down after being hit by the swarm of shuriken. The deer weren't alone. Peko had to turn back to see several rabbits pinned to the trees by kunai rather than shuriken.

'Incredible….I never even saw him pull out those kunai…'

Peko was starting to understand just how faster Naruto was. And it was frightening.

Nekomaru laughed. "Gahahahaha! That was an incredible display! I've never seen anything like it!"

Gundham was in agreement. "Indeed…you possess formidable skills, for a human."

Naruto took the compliments. He made for the rabbits with Peko in tow. Nekomaru ran for Akane since the girl looked ready to eat the deer raw if she had to. Gundham stayed in place for the moment, noting that his assistance was not required for the moment.

"You have a lot of experience with these tools," Peko commented as Naruto pulled one of the kunai from the trees. "As much as I have with my sword, I'd say."

"I've been taught how to handle them since I was a kid," Naruto admitted, wiping one of the kunai with a cloth he had brought with him. "I've never been one for swords or anything like that. Not my style."

Peko's lips twitched a little. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be insulted or not right now."

"I hope not. The last thing I need is a girl with a sword after my ass. I want to live thank you very much."

Peko shook her head and decided to take it all in stride.

Gundham walked up to them, his Dark Devas now back in his scarf. "My subordinates have much to report about this area…..."

"Hm?" Naruto continued cleaning his weapons. "What is it?"

Gundham motioned to the woods around them. "It seems as though we are adjacent to a hunting ground…..it would explain why we were able to find such a bountiful harvest."

Peko crossed her arms. "Peculiar. I didn't think a camp ground site would be next to something like that. It seems awfully dangerous."

"Or maybe we're not supposed to be in this part of the woods," Naruto pointed out.

"Are you suggesting we move our camp site somewhere else?" Peko asked.

Naruto didn't need to think about it. "No way. We found a great spot. We'll just have to tell the others to stay away from this area unless we're out hunting."

"I don't know whether to respect your confidence, or be shocked by it," Peko said while shaking her head.

Naruto shrugged. "You should go with the first one."

Peko merely shook her head some more.

With Nekomaru's help, the group was able to bring back the three deer that Naruto had killed without any problems. Naruto and Akane carried the rabbits while Peko and Gundham led their little batch back to camp. Hopefully Mikan and the others were able to find something for them to cook with all this meat.

Naruto's head was filled with the delicious meal that awaited him when suddenly Gundham stopped dead in his tracks.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Akane said, huffing. "We're carrying a lot of smelly stuff here. And I'm starving!"

Gundham didn't reply. He looked back the way they had come, his eyes hardened. It was the first time Naruto was seeing the breeder so serious.

Naruto was about to speak until Gundham took off running in the direction they had come, not saying a word.

The blond nearly cursed.

"What's up with him?" Nekomaru wondered, watching Gundham disappear into the woods.

Acting fast, Naruto handed the dead rabbits to Peko. "Get back to camp with the others. I'll handle Gundham!"

Peko was unable to get a word in before Naruto sped after Gundham.

Akane's face was marred with confusion. "What the heck was all that about?"

Neither Peko nor Nekomaru had an answer for her.

* * *

By the time Naruto caught up to Gundham, he found the breeder crouching behind a bush. Naruto was about to call out to him until the sound of screeches reached his ears. It was so loud it surprised Naruto. How had he missed it until now?

Naruto was able to see who was making those sounds when he stopped next to the crouching Gundham: it was a baby red fox. A very beautiful baby red fox. But a very injured baby red fox. Blood was running down one of its legs from some sort of injury; Naruto couldn't tell what the injury was exactly.

"We need to get the healer here at once."

Naruto's eyes went to Gundham. "You….you heard it crying in pain, didn't you?" From that distance…..Naruto hadn't been able to hear a thing at all.

"H'mph. Who do you think I am?" Gundham retorted. "I am the Warlock, Tanaka Gundham! I possess skills beyond your comprehension!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Naruto cut him off before he could start rambling. They'd be here all day otherwise. He scooped up the injured fox in his arms, making sure to not cause it further pain as he did. He ignored the blood that stained his clothes.

Gundham got up to his feet and said, "Surprising…...most humans don't know what to do when faced with a dying animal."

"I'm not a regular human." Naruto looked down at the bleeding fox with a somber look. "Besides, my life has been saved more than once by a grumpy old fox. I guess it's my turn now."

Gundham's face turned blank for a moment, almost like he was trying to decipher the meaning behind those words.

Naruto started to run back towards camp. "Oi, let's move. Now that we know what we have here, I'm not going to let this fox die."

Those words helped Gundham return to reality.

The two boys ran as fast as they could.

* * *

Back at camp, Mikan and the others had made it back thankfully. Naruto wasted no time in running up to her.

"Mikan! We need your help!"

"E-Eh?" The nurse was startled, her eyes taking in all the blood smeared on Naruto's clothes. "Uzumaki-san, your clothes-!"

"Forget that now! You gotta save this little guy right here!"

Mikan turned her focus onto the baby fox. "B-But, Uzumaki-san, I'm not a veterinarian! I can't look after an animal!"

Naruto didn't flinch. "Mikan, I know you can. It may be difficult, but I have faith in your abilities."

Those encouraging words again…..they served to light something inside Mikan.

"Y-You really do….?"

"Yes. I wouldn't be asking for your help otherwise."

Mikan saw the seriousness in Naruto's eyes, the conviction behind his voice. It was more than enough to make her come to her decision.

"I'll do it."

Smiling, Naruto handed the kit to Mikan who hurried to the girls' tent. There wasn't a second to waste.

By this point, the others were already gathering to see what was happening.

"What's going on?" Mahiru asked, who had also returned. "Did something happen?"

"We found an injured baby fox in the woods," Naruto quickly explained, pointing to all the blood on his clothes. "We had to bring it back here to see if Mikan could help it recover."

Akane placed a hand on her hips. "Really? That's what the fuss is about? After we captured all those other animals?"

Naruto focused on the girls' tent. "This is different."

"Do not speak of things you do not understand," Gundham said, his eyes closed. "In the natural world, the cruel reality is eat or be eaten. But even animals, who rely solely on instinct, understand balance. There is no reason to attack when you have enough. Over-kill is just another invention of human perversion."

Fuyuhiko t'ched and placed his hands inside his pockets. "So basically, you're saying there's no reason to let the fox die when we already have more than enough supplies for the time being."

"Well, that's certainly true," Teruteru said with one hand running through his hair. "The ingredients you were able to provide me with should be more than enough for two days…..possibly three if we are smart enough."

Knowing Akane's appetite, that probably wasn't possible.

Chiaki stood next to Naruto, her games nowhere in sight. "You look extremely worried, Uzumaki-kun. It's the first time I'm seeing you like this."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. He hadn't noticed the girl until she spoke. Was he that out of it right now?

Chiaki locked eyes with him. "Mhmm. It's all over your face. You're like an open book."

Naruto scratched his head. "That's kinda embarrassing…"

"Awww, don't worry, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki appeared over his shoulder and started poking his cheeks. "I'm sure Mikan-chan is gonna be able to save your new friend."

New friend…..? No way. He didn't think of that wild fox that way. He had simply lent Gundham some assistance, that's all.

Right?

Naruto's thoughts paused for a second when he felt something on his hair. Looking up, Naruto saw one of Gundham's hamsters resting on his head.

"What the-"

Gundham h'mphed. "It appears you have earned **Crimson Steel Elephant, Mega-Z's** respect, foolish mortal. Feel honor, for you are the first to do so…...other than me of course."

This being the first time he was hearing the names of one of Gundham's hamsters….Naruto didn't know what to think. He had the hamster's respect, though?

Sonia clapped excitedly. "That is amazing, Naruto!"

"Way to go, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki cheered, pressing her cheek up against his.

Hiyoko huffed. "It's just a stupid hamster, though….."

"Woah, I didn't know the hamster could do that," Akane said, her eyes shining with fascination.

Fuyuhiko shook his head in slight exasperation. "Just goddamn weird."

Peko chuckled at her master's words while Mahiru quickly snapped a photo of Naruto and **Maga-Z** for her collection.

More electricity shot out from Nekomaru's eyes as the team manager burst into a shouting fit, all meant to encourage his blond friend. Next to him, Teruteru was giggling quietly to himself. Kazuichi sulked some, not liking how Naruto had stolen the spotlight from him again. And all because of a stupid hamster!

Ryota stood back, not knowing what he was meant to feel in this exact moment. Or perhaps he did know but just didn't want to admit it to himself.

And Nagito…...well, the boy merely smiled.

'I truly am lucky…..'

* * *

 **And it's a wrap, everybody. I originally planned to include more, but I decided to end it here. Will the fox survive? Will it not? Who knows? Does anyone care?**

…... **I care.**

 **But that's all from me. Reviews are appreciated as usual as it shows you care, and I hope you've enjoyed this rather messy chapter.**

 **Till next time.**


	8. The Ultimate Camping Experience Part II

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7:  
The Ultimate Camping Experience Part II**

The camp set up by the class of **Ultimates** was filled with silence. After Naruto had come with the injured fox in hand, the others didn't know what to do. Naruto was just standing in front of the tent Mikan had disappeared into, not saying a word. Chiaki was standing next to him still, only she was playing another game. Gundham also stood nearby with his arms crossed. His hamster, **Crimson Steel Elephant, Maga-Z** had returned to him, not that Naruto had noticed. He was far too fixated on the entrance of the tent to notice anything else.

Teruteru had led Nekomaru, Akane, Nagito, and Peko to retrieve whatever else he needed for their food supply. While that was happening, Sonia, Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi, Ryota, and Ibuki were setting up a fire and seats around the fire. The seats were actually just tree trunks, but it was still exciting nonetheless. Well, Ibuki was excited at least.

"I don't get it," Hiyoko said as she watched Ibuki start to decorate one of the tree trunks with glitter and other stuff she had brought with her. "Why does he care so much about that random fox anyway?"

"Hmm, hmm. Naruto-chan has always been a weird one," Ibuki said with a nod. "No one else has taken a liking to Ibuki this quickly."

"Huh?" Hiyoko wanted to vomit. "What the heck does that mean? Are you really suggesting that he already likes you?"

Ibuki grinned. "Ibuki knows."

"Don't be an idiot. There's no way-"

"Now, now." It was at this point that Mahiru decided to intervene. There was enough trouble already going around for her liking. They didn't need more. "Let's not start arguing over something so petty. Besides, Naruto-san invited us all to this trip. Do you think it's okay to be arguing over whether he likes us or not?"

The photographer didn't notice, but she was already calling Naruto by his first name, unlike with the other boys.

Hiyoko would have picked up on this, but she was too focused on giving Ibuki a side glare to do so. As for Ibuki….well, she was all sunshines and rainbows. In her mind, she was totally right about what she had said. On the outside, she looked like the type of person who couldn't understand something as intricate as someone's emotions, or feelings. But that wasn't the case. More often than not, Ibuki was able to sense these things, faster than others too. The thing is…...her personality made it hard for others to pick up on that. Since she was so loud and usually chirpy, it gave the impression that she was clueless. The truth was, Ibuki was just trying to help in the only she knew how.

By keeping the spirit alive.

Right now, she knew that the best way she could help in this situation was by doing her job and getting their little setup complete. She lacked the delicate touch needed to cheer Naruto up right now. But later…...

Ibuki continued decorating her little tree trunk with excitement.

This was the state of the camp for the next ten minutes, with no one else exchanging any words with one another. Hiyoko and Mahiru decided to help the others with the tree trunks, although the former complained the whole time. Without Naruto to lead their exchanges, they didn't know what to say to one another. The awkward atmosphere only grew when Teruteru and the others returned. The situation only changed when Mikan finally emerged from the tent. She had latex gloves on, stained red from blood. She really had come prepared, huh?

"Well?" Naruto was right in front of her in a flash, looking anxious. He still didn't know _why_ he was anxious, but he had never been one to dwell on such things. He acted first. That was the kind of person he was.

"H-He's going to be okay," Mikan said slowly. She was finding this side of Naruto to be…...interesting, to say the least. The desperation in his face was clear. It was different from the happy-go-lucky boy that she had come to know so far. "Thankfully, the bullet was only lodged at his side. He lost a lot of blood, but with rest and food he should be back to normal…...t-that's what I think."

Again, she was no veterinarian. Her knowledge on animals was very limited.

Regardless, Naruto didn't hesitate to hug her. This made Mikan go red in the face almost immediately, as she was not used to this sort of physical contact. She had felt the warmth radiating from Naruto's body before, but that was from a distance. To be engulfed in it now...it not only comforted it her, but it also made her feel _safe_.

She still flushed in embarrassment.

The others all looked on with a mixture of shock, amusement, and, in Teruteru's case, arousal. But let's all just ignore that last one.

"Ohohohoho, now this I didn't expect." The cook was all giggles as he patted his chest. "Uzumaki-kun sure doesn't waste anytime, does he?"

"Stop being such an idiot," Mahiru said, rolling her eyes. "You just don't understand delicacy, do you?"

"Oh, mademoiselle, I can certainly be…... _delicate_ , if you wish."

Mahiru wanted to smack him, she really did. Only her strong composure kept her from acting out her wishes.

Naruto either ignored or didn't notice the reactions from his classmate, or Mikan's embarrassment, and wordlessly stepped into the tent. Chiaki followed, her curiosity getting the better of her. Gundham was the only other to join the two.

Mikan stayed rooted where she stood. Parts of her clothes were now red from Naruto's hug, but she was far too embarrassed to notice it.

"Um, Tsumiki-san?" Sonia tilted her head. "Is something the matter?" She did not understand the expression Mikan was currently making.

Nagito walked up to the nurse and patted her on the shoulder. "I believe it's best if Tsumiki-san gets cleaned up. Being covered in blood probably isn't sanitary."

You think?

"The stream or the lake should suffice," Peko suggested.

"Eeeeeehhh?" Hiyoko didn't like the sound of that. Not for Mikan's sake, but for her own. Bathing in a lake out in public like that…...it just wasn't right.

Kazuichi suddenly swallowed, his cheeks red. "I-Is that really a good idea…...?"

Teruteru giggled perversely, a small trickle of blood flowing down from his nose. "Oh, I do believe it is."

"I swear, there are perverts everywhere." Mahiru was not going to amuse them, though. "Come with me, Tsumiki-san. We can trek back to the facilities. I'm sure they must have a shower there for campers."

"So we're going to have to walk tomorrow to bathe?" Ryota didn't like the sound of that.

Mahiru rolled her eyes. "Well, if it's too much trouble for you, then you can just get cleaned up in the stream. I'm sure that would you suit you better anyway."

"Ouch." Even Kazuichi was flinching at that. Mahiru really had a mean streak to her, huh?

Mahiru, Sonia, and Hiyoko led Mikan to the camping facilities they had seen earlier during their trek over here. The **Ultimate Nurse** didn't say a word the entire time, though. Her brain was still trying to cope with the fact that someone had _hugged her_ , and with no malice either!

Just what was this strange feeling in her chest…...?

Fuyuhiko h'mphed from where he was standing. This whole trip was not going the way he had hoped. It was just one problem after another.

'Being part of a group is a lot of work…...'

Even as the next heir of his yakuza organization, Fuyuhiko had never had to truly deal with partaking in the business, so to speak. No, his father took care of that, and now he was beginning to see why the man was always so busy and stressed out. A group was like a machine. Every part needed to be maintained in order for the whole system to work.

The short heir sighed in slight defeat.

"Ah, Owari!"

He turned back to see Nekomaru trying to stop Akane from eating the dead deer that had yet to be cooked up while Teruteru looked positively aghast. Nagito was smiling, Ibuki cheered, Kazuichi was grossed out, Peko looked away, and Ryota didn't seem to care.

It would take a madman to lead a group like this.

* * *

Inside the tent, things were a lot more quiet. Mikan had left the fox to sleep in the middle, giving it a small blanket to keep it warm and cozy. She had also wrapped its torso in bandages, which was where it had been shot. Now, the small fox looked at peace, its chest rising up and down in a calm manner. It was the exact opposite from before, when Naruto and Gundham had first found it.

Mikan had talent, that was for sure.

"It's just as Tsumiki-san said." Chiaki decided to speak up first, surprisingly. Her small voice boomed in the otherwise quiet tent. "It doesn't look to be in danger anymore."

Naruto knelt next to the fox and placed a hand on top of its head. "You really are small…..."

"I'd say it's a normal size for its species and age," Gundham said, his arms crossed. His four Dark Devas all peered down at the fox with curiosity from his scarf. "Although, without that healer, its life would have surely been cut today."

"Um." Chiaki looked at the breeder. "I don't think that last remark was necessary."

"What do you mean?"

The gamer gestured to Naruto, and Gundham understood soon enough. Instead of saying anything else, he simply looked away. There was a brief spark of regret in his eyes, though.

Naruto knew Gundham wasn't trying to be purposefully malice with his comments, so he didn't react to it. Besides, this was his problem, not Gundham's. For Naruto was starting to understand why he had reacted to strongly to seeing the wounded fox.

Kurama was dead.

It was something Naruto had purposefully tried to keep from his mind. Just like the issue with his chakra. Somewhere, deep in his heart, he understood that these were problems that needed to be addressed. But he never did. Why? Because he was scared to find the answers.

It was no use. In the projections ran by Jun, it had shown that the object traveling through the dimensions would be torn apart unless it was sufficiently shielded. Even though Jun had failed to mention that little detail, Naruto had been able to pick up on it while the physicist had been typing up his little simulation. But once again, Naruto had ignored it completely, like it didn't exist.

In other words, Kurama was his shield. The bijuu must have given it his all to make sure Naruto survived the journey. That's what Naruto thought at least. And in this world, chakra was not a thing. At least, chakra as a power source. Here in this dimension, it was just a concept in some religion. Based on that, his chakra had most likely been stripped away in order for him to adjust to this world. Then again, all of this was nothing more than conjecture on his part. Naruto had no way of knowing what had truly happened.

And that's what scared him.

He didn't know what would happen to all the others trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, or if Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura had survived the blast. Or what if they had been trapped in the same explosion as him, but had been torn apart during the journey? None of them had the kind of chakra that Naruto possessed. So then…...what if they were dead too?

The Uzumaki had tried his darndest to run away from all of these questions. Maybe that was why he had suggested this camping trip at all, using the others as an excuse to continue running away from his problems.

It was pathetic really. And it disgusted Naruto, how weak he was being.

"You're sulking again."

Naruto nearly screamed when he noticed Chiaki's face staring right at him. The usually quiet girl was kneeling next to the fox as well, only she was looking at the blond.

"W-What?"

"I said you're sulking." She started to poke him in the cheek like Ibuki, finding that his cheeks were very soft. No wonder Ibuki liked doing it. Not only that, but she could feel his whiskers twitch, like a cat's.

How very cute.

"You should stop sulking," she told him.

Naruto blinked for a few seconds, trying to register what was happening right now.

"I find your current attitude to be…...quite distasteful as well," Gundham said in his usual powerful tone. "I do not understand why someone as you would care so much about this familiar. I thought you were beyond such practices."

Naruto looked down at the sleeping fox. Its ears twitched a little, no doubt from their voices. They were curious about him?

"I guess…...I was just projecting my problems onto this little guy, just like I was doing it with you guys. I've been failing to deal with a lot of stuff, and I don't know how. That's why you guys have been my scapegoat. And I have to apologize for that…..."

"Hm?" Chiaki thought about it for a moment. "You think? I think you're wrong."

"What?"

"I said I think you're wrong." Chiaki began to run her hand across the fox's head, enjoying the way its fur felt on her hand. "You have made our experience at Hope's Peak a little more fun than what it could have been."

Naruto remembered Nagito saying something similar to him before. At the time, Naruto had shook it off because he didn't feel that he deserved those words. Now he knew why he had felt that way.

Chiaki still carried on. "You see, Uzumaki-kun, there is something different about you. All of us, we're all tied to our talents. From the moment we found them, we have been stuck with them. We can only rely on our talents. No matter what we do, we can't escape that. That…...is our fate."

Naruto frowned, but he allowed her to continue.

"You don't seem to have those limitations, and it's…...comforting." Chiaki began to smile. "Perhaps I can find something else that isn't tied to my games. Perhaps, just perhaps, I can find the same level of freedom as you. That's why…...I'm sure you can overcome your problems. And if you can't do it alone, then you can rely on me…...if you want."

While Naruto had never expected to hear something like that from Chiaki of all people, he still took her words to heart. Like it or not, this was the situation he was in, with no answers and with no way to return to his world. A part of him had still been holding out, even after Jun had told him to forget about it. And, honestly, a part of him would probably always be hoping that one day all the questions he had would be answered.

Ignoring them or sulking certainly wasn't going to help, though. He just had to keep going, for all those who had risked their lives for him.

'Yeah…...that's right. That's my motto, my ninja way.'

He couldn't go back on his word now, not after the bonds he had started to form here.

"Thank you for that, Chiaki."

The girl watched as Naruto got back to his feet, looking like a huge load had just been lifted from his shoulders.

"Honestly, I'm surprised to hear all that," Naruto said. "I guess those with talents have their own problems to deal with. But if it's any consolation, I don't think that about you at all." He glanced to Gundham. "I don't think that about any of you all. You're all more than just your talents. You don't need me as your crutch for that. You can do it on your own, I'm sure of it."

"Well, that should be obvious." Gundham smirked and cackled. "I haven't fallen so low to the point where I need to be consoled by the likes of you. Kekekeke."

Naruto and Chiaki looked at one another before laughing together.

How very Gundham of him.

* * *

Akane was in heaven right now…...or well, about to be. Her eyes were watery, and the drool coming out of her mouth was like a waterfall that Sonia couldn't help but remark about.

Why was she like this you might ask? Well, the answer was simple. Teruteru was preparing the finishing touches to his meal, the very first one they would have together as a class. And it was under a starry sky out in the woods with no one to disturb them. It couldn't get better than this.

After Naruto and Chiaki had had their little talk, they had exited the tent with Gundham in tow. From there, they had helped the others finish setting up their camp. It was after that that Naruto had gotten changed from his bloodied clothes. No one wanted to see him like that, and he didn't want to be in them either. Unlike the others, he had no problems getting washed at the nearby stream, a fact that would haunt Mahiru, Mikan, Hiyoko, and Sonia when they returned.

...technically, more like embarrass them, but that was beside the point.

Ibuki found the whole situation extremely hilarious, as did Teruteru for that matter. Only Kazuichi had sulked, since he was certain he had seen Sonia blush at first. Nekomaru had admired Naruto's muscles, remarking that they were more refined than any athlete he had seen before.

Naruto took the compliment.

Now, the blond was seated with his class around the camp fire as Teruteru began to serve them their meal. Deer, with a side of mushroom soup. Even though the ingredients were very simple, the **Ultimate Cook** had been able to transform them into something extraordinary. Even Naruto could feel his mouth water.

In their circle, starting from Naruto's right, it was Mikan who was all cleaned up as well, followed by Fuyuhiko, and then Peko, Chiaki, Kazuichi, Ibuki, Sonia, Gundham, Teruteru, Ryota, Akane, Nekomaru, Mahiru, Hiyoko, and then finally Nagito who was sitting on Naruto's left.

There was more member in their circle, and that was the young fox Naruto and Gundham had rescued. It was napping peacefully on Naruto's lap. Mikan had been worried about him moving so quickly, but the fox had taken his spot on Naruto's lap after awakening from his slumber. No one dared to move him, and Naruto was content with this.

"Wow, I can't believe this turned out so delicious!" Mahiru exclaimed after taking her first few bites from her meal. From the very beginning, she had had her doubts about this whole thing. But thankfully, she had been proven wrong.

Even Hiyoko had to admit that the food was delicious.

"I want seconds!" Akane shouted from her spot.

"Ha!? Already!?" Teruteru looked wide-eyed at that. The gymnast had eaten even faster than before! What the hell?

"I guess waiting all day for this took its toll, huh," Nekomaru guessed.

"It's just sooooooo good!" Akane was ready to cry.

Nagito chuckled. "Such excitement. But I must agree. It's as if I'm tasting hope with every bite."

Ryota sweatdropped. "Ah, is that so."

There was nothing else to say to that really.

"Do you think we should wake him up to feed him?" Naruto wondered as he looked down at his new friend.

Mikan looked unsure. "I-I do not know. Rest is important for him, but he'll also need food to get his strength back."

"H'mph, give him his rest," Gundham said from where he was sitting. "Once he has properly rested, he'll seek food on his own."

True. The fox had survived on the wild so far. That was the part Naruto was worried about. Then again, Gundham had informed him that the fox was still very young, enough so where domestication was not an issue. The fact that he had been on his own when they found him meant that his mother was more than likely dead now. Leaving him on his own in this situation would most certainly be a death warrant.

At least he and Naruto had that in common, as terrible as it was. They were both without mothers in this world.

"Oh, but what shall you name him?" Sonia asked with curiosity.

"I hope it's not another weird name," Hiyoko muttered. The names Gundham had given to his hamsters were just so weird to her.

"Oh! Oh!" Ibuki raised her hand. "Ibuki has a perfect name for him!"

Fuyuhiko was compelled to ask, "And what would that be?"

"Red Star Fox!"

Cue a collective sweatdrop.

Ibuki pouted at their reaction. "Awww, think about it! We're under the stars, and his fur is red…...!"

And he was a fox!

"That's totally denied," Kazuichi said under his breath. He couldn't believe just how much of an airhead she was.

Naruto looked sheepish. "Sorry, Ibuki, but…..I'm not going with that name. I already have one for him."

"Oh?" Peko raised an eyebrow. "I'm curious. What name is that?"

It couldn't be worse than Ibuki's, that's for sure.

Naruto smiled. "Kurama."

Cheesy, but appropriate. It was a shotout to one of his closest friends.

"Kurama." Sonia tested the name, and smiled. It warmed her heart for some reason. "I believe that is a beautiful name."

Gundham h'mphed again. "A grand name indeed."

Ibuki pouted some more, but she still saw the beauty in the name. "Kurama-chan it is then."

Naruto was happy to hear that.

"Then this is a celebration to the new addition of our group!" Ibuki cheered, nearly jumping out of her seat. "We now have five animal friends!"

On Gundham's shoulders, the four Dark Devas did their own little celebration, glad to see that they had a new companion.

Nagito smiled. "It is splendid, is it not?"

Hiyoko curled her lip. "Calling each other friends now? That's so sick."

"Eh? But you're our friend too, Hiyoko-chan~" Ibuki sent a pout the dancer's way. "Don't deny it!"

"T-That…...don't call me that!" the blonde snapped, embarrassed.

"Hiyoko does raise a valid point, though," Naruto suddenly said.

That caused the others to pause. _Naruto_ of all people was saying that to them?

"Ah." Hiyoko was at a loss. She didn't think the Uzumaki would take her seriously.

Nagito studied the blond for a moment…..and then smiled. "You have something in mind, Uzumaki-kun?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I do. I call it…..the meet and greet camp adventure!"

Only Ibuki cheered at the tittle.

"What exactly are you talking about here?" Mahiru asked.

Naruto scratched his cheek as he chuckled. "Well, it's basically just us introducing ourselves." He looked at everyone around him. "Back during the first day, we only gave each other our titles given to us by the school. But we're more than that. To become friends, we're going to have to know more about one another. That is why I propose that we properly introduce ourselves now."

"I get what you're saying," Fuyuhiko said, "but how do we do that?"

"We just share our likes, dislikes, and what our hopes and dreams are for the future," Naruto explained. It was what Kakashi had done with them back in the day. It was a simple idea, but Naruto found it to be an effective one.

"That sounds kind of embarrassing," Hiyoko muttered.

"Well, I think it's a splendid idea." Of course, Nagito liked it.

Kazuichi had an idea. "Yeah, but if Uzumaki wants us to do it, then he should go first!"

Secretly, he just didn't have the guts to talk about his dreams in front of Sonia. So if Naruto chickened out, then he could be spared. Unfortunately…...that did not happen.

Naruto shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

Fuck.

"Now let's see." Naruto took a second to mull his words over. "First off, what I like…..well, there's ramen. It's the food of the gods." Cue group eye roll. "I also enjoy training, and gardening too."

Now that caught them by surprise...again. Naruto seemed to do that a lot to them.

"You like gardening?" It was Mahiru who asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty relaxing. I used to do it a lot when I was younger. Unfortunately, the older I got, the less time I had to take care of my plants."

With the Akatsuki, Sasuke, and trying to stop a war, things had just escalated for him. Life had just gotten so troublesome, as Shikamaru put it.

'I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover,' Mahiru thought, amazed.

"I don't really have anything in specific that I dislike," Naruto continued. Except for how long it took for instant ramen to get done. Even in this world, it was still three minutes. What an injustice. "I guess I'm not too fond of vegetables."

"Y-You shouldn't say that," Mikan said softly. "Vegetables are good for you!" She silently hoped the blond would take her suggestions more seriously. She was his nurse now, after all.

Nekomaru had to shake his head here. "Just how someone like you managed to get that incredible physique is beyond me."

Naruto grumbled. "Don't be so harsh, sheesh. I eat vegetables now, I'm just not overly fond of them. They're weird looking, and they don't taste right!"

Fuyuhiko was at a loss for words right now, as were many others.

Chiaki was agreeing silently with Naruto's words. Vegetables were evil. Tasty but unhealthy snacks were a gamer's best companion during the night. It was a sentiment that was also shared by Ryota, but for different reasons.

"You're like a little kid, I swear," Mahiru said with a sigh. "It must have been tough on your parents, trying to change your ways."

Ah.

Naruto did his best to not look down. "I'm an orphan, so I kinda had to learn this all by myself."

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and even Kakashi all came later into his life, after all.

Mahiru looked confused for a moment, like she didn't understand what he had just said. But when she finally registered his words, she looked mortified.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's alright, Mahiru." Naruto already knew what she wanted to say, and he didn't hold it against her. "It's not like you knew, and it's not a big deal to me anymore. I'm all grown up now, after all."

Gundham closed his eyes. "That's a strong remark, not easily made by the weak-willed."

"Thanks…..?" Naruto decided to just accept the compliment. At least, he thought it was a compliment.

"But that must have been terrible," Sonia remarked. "Living all by yourself…..."

"It's really no big deal. I had a lot of friends back in the village who supported me, just like I do here now." Naruto didn't want to spend too much time on this. To him, it was a non-issue. At this stage of his life, he had grown to accept all the bad in his life with the good. It was part of being a shinobi. To endure it. "Can we get back on track now?"

The others agreed.

"I guess all that's left to talk about is my dream." Naruto folded his arms and thought about that for a moment. He had always meant to follow Jiraiya's teachings and unite all of shinobi after the war was over, but he couldn't very well do that now, could he?

'Well…...Ero-Sennin said he wanted for _people_ to come to understand one another…...'

It wasn't just shinobi-kind. And just because he was stranded in another world, it didn't mean that he had to forsake his master's teachings. Not only that, but with what little history he already knew, he could tell that there was much conflict in this world that needed to be resolved. That's part of the reason why Hope's Peak Academy had been founded, in order to create a brighter future in this country by bringing together the top of the cream in every imaginable field. That's what Tengan had told him at least.

Naruto began to smile as an idea started to form in his head.

"My dream is a simple one…...I just want to create peace and bring about justice and hope to this world."

To say the others were shocked was an understatement. Even Nagito looked stunned for a moment, but he recovered soon enough.

"Hahahaha! That's incredible, Uzumaki-kun! To think you were aspiring for such heights…...!"

It made Nagito's heart beat with excitement! His instincts had been right on the money all along!

"What the hell?" Kazuichi was more pessimistic, though. "What the hell kind of dream is that?"

Both Mahiru and Sonia shot the mechanic a glare, making him falter. Hey, he was just curious. Don't chew him out for it!

Naruto didn't take offense to the question. "I understand your reaction, Kazuichi. For someone as small as me to say something like that…...it does sound silly." He shrugged. "But I don't really have a choice. It's what my master entrusted me with, and I can't let him down."

"A master?" Fuyuhiko was curious about this. "You had a master?"

"Of course. How else do you think I gained my skills?"

"That does make sense," Peko admitted. Being self-taught could only get you so far. Even she had had several teachers in the past. Of course, she surpassed them all over time, but that's beside the point.

"But if you're going this far, then you must have cared a lot about him," Nekomaru said.

Naruto nodded at this. "Yeah…...he taught me a lot of things, some helpful, others…...not so much. Point is, my master wished for peace in this world. And I'll make sure to deliver it."

"B-But such a goal….." Mikan bit her lip, troubled. "Don't you think it's too big for one person to accomplish on their own…..?"

"Oh yeah, it would be impossible for me alone." Naruto then patted the girl on the head again. "But who says I'm planning on doing it alone? I have all of you guys to help me."

"Oi, oi, oi! Don't just sign me up onto this!" Kazuichi exclaimed, mortified.

Hiyoko snorted. "You're such a loser, god."

"I-I respond better to praise, ya know!"

Hiyoko ignored him of course.

"Hmm, such a bold statement indeed." Nekomaru rubbed his chin in thought. "You're so certain that we'll help you with this."

"Don't make it sound like that," Naruto said sheepishly. "It's more like I'm asking you guys for your help. I can already tell. Together, there's nothing we can't do. That's why, even achieving my master's dream would be a possibility if we're all united."

"I admire your spirits, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki shouted. "If this were a song, I'd titled it, 'Wish under the Starry Sky!'"

Naruto had to admit, that was a beautiful tittle.

"I for one have never given something like world peace much thought," Teruteru said with a thoughtful look. "But if I were able to make everyone smile with my cooking…..." He laughed softly. "Mhhmmm, yes. That would be incredible."

It was one of the few times Teruteru was showing his more serious side, and the others were glad for it.

Akane smirked. Her fight with Naruto had been put on hold because of the whole business with the fox, but surprisingly she didn't feel angry about it. Instead, her blood was getting pumped up with all of this talk about peace and whatnot.

"I don't really get how you can create peace, but it doesn't sound too bad to me."

Ryota scowled. "You make it sound like it's an easy thing when it's not. Saying we'll all work together…...do you really think that's possible?"

Naruto looked at the animator. "It's true that my words right now don't carry much weight to them, but I'm the kind of person who proves himself through his actions, not his words. That's why, even if you don't accept it now, I'll make sure to prove myself worthy of your trust."

For some reason, that only infuriated Ryota more. "Don't say it so readily. Not all talents are for the greater good. Some talents only bring pain and misery to everyone involved."

"You think so?" Naruto shook his head. "I'm of a different thought. No matter the power, it's only the intent that matters. Even power based on darkness can be used for good if the intent is there. It's no different with talent. And that's what I see around me. That includes you too, Ryota."

Ryota kept his eyes on the blond for a few seconds before looking away. He didn't seem entirely convinced still, but for the time being, he was able to understand Naruto's point.

'And there's that feeling again,' Naruto said to himself, keeping Ryota in his line of sight for the moment. It was the feeling that he was speaking to someone else entirely. But why would he ever feel something like that? Just why?

"Still, I sincerely believe in Uzumaki-kun's words," Nagito said, drawing the attention to him. "I think it's a wonderful goal to work towards, especially with everyone here. With your talents combined, the hope born from this union will shine more brightly than any star."

That made Fuyuhiko smirk a little. "Wonderful or not, it's hard to think that a goofball like Uzumaki can achieve a grand goal like that on his own. So I guess lending him a hand is the only thing that we can do."

"Oi…..." Naruto was happy the boy was on his side, but did he have to call him a goofball?

"Yeah, well, it's not a _terrible_ goal," Kazuichi muttered under his breath. He hated feeling this way, feeling that he _wanted to help_ Naruto. He didn't know why, just that he was slowly being drawn to being around the blond. It was very frustrating for him.

"Alright, alright. That's enough from me for now." He had been embarrassed enough. Naruto glanced to Mikan. "You're up next, Mikan."

"E-Eh?" Being put on the spotlight like this…...Mikan was not handling it well.

"You can do it, Mikan-chan!" Ibuki cheered for her. "It's not like Hiyoko-chan is going to bite."

The dancer's eyebrow twitched, but she didn't say anything.

"U-Um….." Twiddling with her fingers, Mikan mustered what courage she had and faced the group. "W-Well…...my likes include anything that have to do with treating people-"

"Huuuuuh?" Hiyoko cut in, her face annoyed. "Don't you do anything else other than be a creepy stalker?"

Naruto was about to say something, but surprisingly Mikan spoke up to explain herself.

"I-I devout all my time in trying to help people. That's because people always rely on you when they're sick. And being congratulated for a job well done…..it's a nice feeling, I think."

Teruteru giggled. "Oh my. Who would have thought…..that Tsumiki-san had a side like this."

"Don't make it weird," Fuyuhiko glared at the cook who was serving Akane her fourth plate.

"Being depended on is a nice feeling," Sonia said, recalling her status as a princess. She had a whole country who depended on her. While it could be stressful, she was more than happy to fill the role…..granted, there were times she wished she was just a normal girl too.

Mikan fidgeted, silently wondering if she had said too much perhaps. She didn't want anyone to hate her…...

"Anything that you dislike?" Naruto asked her, keeping her introduction going.

"U-Um…." Mikan figured she could reveal that. "Being ignored…..t-that's what I don't like."

Now _that_ Naruto could understand. Solitude was a hell he wouldn't wish upon anyone.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Naruto sent her a reassuring smile, one that Mikan instinctively returned.

"M-My dream for the future…..would be to fill all the hospitals in the world with wonderful medicine," Mikan declared with more confidence than usual. "That…...and h-help Uzumaki-san with his goal of course…."

How thoughtful of her. Naruto appreciated her words, for sure.

"H'mph, guess I'm up next, huh?" Fuyuhiko placed a hand on his tie to readjust it. "I have a lot of things I like, and a lot of things I dislike-"

"Boooooooo!" Ibuki didn't hesitate to strike him down. "That's no fun, Fuyuhiko-chan! You have to put more feeling into it."

"Ibuki's right," Naruto agreed. "It would be unfair to Mikan and me if you half-ass this."

"MAN UP, KUZURYU!" Nekomaru shouted at the top of his lungs.

Fuyuhiko t'sked. Looks like he was going to have to do this, after all.

"I love my clan. As the next heir, I will do anything to keep it safe. Most of my time is kept occupied for this task, so I don't have a lot of experience in many other things. I…..I do have a little sister that's also important to me…..." God, that was hard to admit. "I heavily dislike…..milk." Even saying the word was enough to make him angry. If only he could drink that damn liquid…..!

"Pffft-ahahahahaha!" Hiyoko couldn't help but laugh at this. "You don't like milk!? No wonder you're so short!"

Fuyuhiko fumed. "Say what, you little bitch!? You of all people have no right to say that!"

"Huh!? What did you just call me!?"

Naruto facepalmed while the others all let out a collective sigh. These two were always going to be hostile toward one another, weren't they?

"This is about our introductions," Peko reminded them. "Please don't get carried away."

Hiyoko huffed and looked away.

Fuyuhiko decided to let it go and just continue. "My dream is a simple one. To become the best clan leader the Kuzuryu have ever seen and bring the family to even greater heights never seen before."

Kazuichi looked a tad nervous about that. The strongest yakuza gang in all of Japan getting even stronger? Not exactly something that many people would want to see...

Nagito was just ecstatic. "That's a grand goal, Kuzuryu-kun. It's filled with so much hope!"

Right.

Peko crossed her arms and said, "I enjoy training with my sword more than anything else. I guess…..." Her cheeks had a slight red tinge to them as she spoke. "I-I guess I also like petting cute animals."

Talk about being blindsided.

"Awwwe, that's cute," Mahiru gushed.

Peko coughed to regain her composure. "Yes, well, even if I say that, animals tend to stay away from me when I get too close. I do not know why. But because of it, I have never been able to pet one before."

Now that was just sad.

Nekomaru picked his ear. "Isn't it because you have the aura of a warrior? The animals must sense this, and trust their instincts to stay away."

"But we have four hamsters that aren't normal," Mahiru pointed out while looking at Gundham. "I'm sure they wouldn't run away from you…..maybe."

"Say what?" Gundham looked outraged. "Are you telling me that you want to pet my Four Dark Devas of Destruction!? You, a mere-!"

"It would be nice," Sonia said, joining in. "They're just really cute!"

Rather instantly, Gundham began to blush. He raised his scarf over his face to hide this, but everyone could see it. "I-I suppose…..it wouldn't be such a terrible thing….."

Naruto's eyes shined in mischief when he saw this. 'Well, well…..'

He had some material to work with later.

"I thank you for the opportunity." Peko bowed in genuine gratitude.

"You can do that later," Hiyoko said with a disgruntled face. "We have introductions to continue!"

"O-Oh." Peko looked down in sadness. She really wanted to pet them now, but Hiyoko had a point. She needed to finish here. "I don't exactly have anything I dislike per say….but I suppose if I have to name something, it's candy."

Hiyoko nearly gasped. How could anyone _not_ like candy!? Especially Japanese ones!? It was heresy!

Peko closed her eyes. "I have never given my future much thought, so I can't say I have a dream. But….I will fulfill what is required of me until the end. That is all."

For some reason, her final words did not sit well with Naruto. As with the Ryota situation, though, he had no idea why.

"Hm?" Chiaki noticed that all eyes were on her. So she was next, huh? "My likes….are video games. I like every genre, but I struggle with one the most."

Woah. Even someone like the **Ultimate Gamer** had games that were too tough? Now that certainly made Naruto curious. What kind of games could they be?

Unfortunately for the blond, Chiaki didn't seem keen on sharing which genre she struggled with the most. "I don't like waking up early…..but that's rarely an issue since I stay up most nights playing video games anyway."

Mahiru sweatdropped. "You know, Nanami-san, I think you spend too much time on games."

"Hm? You think so?" A small smile graced Chiaki's face. "To me, it's the opposite. People who know nothing about games are the ones missing out."

No one knew what to say to that.

"Um. I don't have a dream for the future." Chiaki tilted her head. "But I guess Uzumaki-kun's dream sounds nice to me."

Truly, Chiaki was the kind of girl who went things at her own pace. If nothing else, Naruto had to admire that about her. It reminded him a lot of Shikamaru. That guy got all fired up when it came to shogi, but not much else. It was just like Chiaki with her video games.

"It's finally my turn, huh?" Kazuichi smirked and gave the group a thumbs up. "My likes are all about tinkering with machines, especially engines, when I have a chance. Motorcycles are a special treat to me. In fact, I'm real close to cracking one that can reach up to 585 mph!"

Holy shit.

"T-That sounds awfully dangerous," Mikan commented.

"More like, could you even ride that thing?" Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head. "I bet the police would confiscate it in an instant."

"Of course it's not street legal!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "It's not like I would ride it anyway. I get motion sickness real easy."

"Huh?" Hiyoko blinked. "Then why are you even building a bike that you can't ride?"

Kazuichi smirked again. "Because it's just nice to tinker with engines, ya know? Disassemble, reassemble, see what makes it tick…..stuff like that. It's what gets my brain moving!"

'Well, everyone has their own thing,' Naruto thought. He was the same way when it came to training.

"My dream is a real big one too!" Kazuichi continued, excited that he had the spotlight for once. "Since I'm a mechanic, and I gotta reach for the stars, my dream is build a rocket that can go to space!"

That was…..ambitious.

"But….you cannot ride it, correct?" Peko asked with uncertainty.

Kazuichi awkwardly laughed. "Y-Yeah….."

What a funny guy, this Kazuichi was. But a dream like that….Naruto felt like it really suited him. It was a beautiful dream for someone like him.

"Oooooooh, it's Ibuki's turn next!" No one beat Ibuki in the excitement department. "As promised, Ibuki will grace you with a most spectacular introduction!" Wait, when did she promise? "Ibuki enjoys doing a lot of things! Truly, there is not a single thing Ibuki will not enjoy doing. Ah, but standing still is a big no-no! There's nothing more boring than standing still! Your brain won't be stimulated that way! That's why, you always need to be on the move! Ahahaha, that's what Ibuki says anyway! As long as you can overcome boredom, you can overcome anything!"

So, basically, she disliked being bored. And to Ibuki, one of the easiest ways to become bored was to do nothing at all.

Gotcha.

"Ibuki's dream is rather elegant," she continued with a wide grin. She sounded so sure of herself. "That dream is to form a band with everyone here!"

Fuyuhiko deadpanned. "Yeah, that's never happening."

"And with the way you play, we'd be more likely to die first," Kazuichi added, recalling the song she had played for them yesterday. It was just terrifying.

Ibuki sulked. "Boooooo. Show more guts, you gutless!"

It was a matter of survival, not guts!

Sonia stood up from her seat and bowed to them. "Hello. It is my turn now, correct?"

Yes.

"Ah, Miss Sonia." Of course, Kazuichi was already a blushing mess.

Naruto still found the whole situation humorous. How could Sonia not notice Kazuichi's affection towards her? Naruto was proud that he at least wasn't _that_ dense.

"There are so many wonderful things to enjoy in glorious Japan, that it is difficult for me to pick one," Sonia began with her hands next to her face. "Crime dramas, and dramas in general, are some of my favorite! 'The Summer Story of Seven Men and Women' is a special favorite of mine, as it began the era of trendy drama that we know today! It was such a romantic story, but also very tragic! Of course, there are many other dramas that focus on different facets of human lives. It is-"

"We don't need a lecture on your stupid dramas," Hiyoko snapped. "Seriously, talk about something else already!"

"Hey! Don't be so rude to Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi, jumping to Sonia's defense. No surprises there.

"No, it is my bad." Sonia, of course, was more than willing to be the bigger person here. "I got carried away. I do apologize for that."

"Na, it's alright." Naruto wasn't annoyed. It's not like he knew anything about these so-called 'dramas' anyway. "You can continue, Sonia."

The princess was more than happy to do so. "Aside from that, I enjoy all the many things I have come to know here in Japan. It's like a whole new world to me! That includes this camping trip, as I have never been able to do something like this with people my age. That is why I feel like I have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity."

"That's Miss Sonia for you," Kazuichi gushed even further. "Always so admirable."

"Idiot," Fuyuhiko said while shaking his head.

"I don't know about anything I dislike that is truly worth mentioning," Sonia continued. "As for my dream, I hope to lead my country with clarity and grace one day, as well as achieve Naruto's dream for the future!"

So Naruto had a princess of a nation that was willing to support him? Sweet.

Kazuichi felt down in the slumps a little. Why? Because Naruto was the only one Sonia referred to on a first-name basis. That had to mean something, right?

"Kekekekeke, coward, you fools, for the great Warlock, Tanaka Gundham, has finally arrived!" The Four Dark Devas all positioned themselves on Gundham's shoulders as the boy posed as well.

'Always with the dramatics, huh?' Naruto thought absentmindedly as he petted the now named Kurama, who was still sleeping.

"There is nothing in this world but my Four Dark Devas of Destruction that could possibly interest me!" Gundham declared with his usual gusto. "The measly life of humans is not worth my time!"

Naruto had no idea what that meant.

Nagito smiled and translated, "I believe he is saying that he likes his hamsters above else. Considering he's willing to to raise them in his scarf, I don't think that should be surprising."

Naruto was definitely not surprised.

"Of course, that said, I am host to many other creatures that I must keep at bay for this world to continue to exist," Gundham carried on. "Without my power, this world would have been engulfed in chaos long ago!"

"I really am getting embarrassed just listening to this guy talk," Hiyoko said. "You're just a breeder, remember!"

"I think it's best if we let people be who they are," Mahiru said, throwing in the towel. Her class was full of weirdos. She was just going to have to live with that from now on.

Gundham was devoted to his animals. That's basically what the guy was trying to say. That's where his hopes and dreams lied. Naruto knew there was more the guy than just that, but if that was all he was willing to say for now, then so be it.

"I suppose it's time for everyone's favorite chef, hm?" Teruteru started to comb his hair. "My story is truly a grand tale, I can assure you."

"We're not here to hear you narcissistically talk about yourself, dumbass," Fuyuhiko said, annoyed.

"Oh my~ You're always so tough on me, Kuzuryu-kun~"

Mahiru really wanted to smack her head against something hard right about now. "You're covering way too many bases by yourself, Hanamura."

"Well, I suppose I can give you the shortened version," Teruteru said as he finished combing his hair. "I was born in the great Azabu district, and was raised in southern Aoyama. That's why I carry such an air of sophistication around me. This is also why I vehemently hate anything junk food related."

Ryota and Chiaki both took offense to that.

"Food must be prepared from scratch, and each dish must be handled with great care," Teruteru explained. "The chef and his ingredients, all brought together in harmony. That is why junk food fails on every level! It's thrown out like any trash you see in the city! Those so-called restaurants don't care one bit about the standards they want to set, and people eat it all up! It is ridiculous to call something that grotesque food!" His nostrils were flaring in anger now, showing just how much he disliked junk food.

It was rather surprising to the others, as from the beginning, Teruteru had appeared to be someone who only cared about sex or making innuendos. But this…...this was something else.

"You shouldn't insult junk food like that," Ryota said with a glare. "It too has its place in this world!"

The **Ultimate Animator** was technically supposed to go next, so this worked out, maybe….?

"I would never have imagined that someone would say such a thing!" Teruteru sounded offended. "Junk food has a place in the world? It does not!"

"It's all about a new era!" Ryota was not going back down, though. "It's common knowledge that fast food has forever changed society! From the upper class to celebrities all over the world, they're all gaining weight from fast food. Many professional athletes even eat an unbalanced diet!"

As the two began to bicker back and forth, Nagito was taken back by the fire in Ryota's words.

"How strange. I never considered Mitarai-kun to be this kind of character…..."

Naruto had to agree. The guy must really love junk food, huh?

Mikan looked put off. "I-It is not healthy to eat only fast food…."

The girl took her duties seriously, huh?

"All this talk about food is making me hungrier dammit!" Akane yelled. "Am I going to get another serving or what!?"

"W-What?" Teruteru looked at the gymnast with further shock. "I've already given you seven servings! And you want _more_!?"

"Hell yeah I do!"

"How can anyone eat so much?" Mahiru wondered.

Naruto knew how. It was easy. You just had to really like food. It was like him with his ramen.

"Forget about that for now, Owari," Nekomaru told her. "Since Mitarai and Hanamura have taken their turns to argue with one another, it's your turn next."

Well, Ryota didn't _technically_ go, but at least everyone now knew what he loved. Junk food. What did he not love? People talking badly about fast food, or junk food in general.

It was a start.

"Huh?" Akane didn't seem too thrilled to participate. "It's not like I have much to say. I work hard to take care of my younger siblings. I love food, and I don't like it when people are keeping me away from my food."

"You don't like being a gymnast, Owari-san?" Sonia asked, curious to know more.

"Eh, it's not that I don't like it," Akane replied, shrugging. "I'm just indifferent to it. Some old geezer told me I could make good money doing it, and I did. That's all."

For the **Ultimate Gymnast** to be so laid back like this….it was incredible, and not exactly in the good way either. But…ugh, Naruto didn't know. Trying to classify Akane was much harder than it seemed.

"I guess it's come to me at last." Nekomaru grunted as he flexed his arms. "What do you guys want to know?"

"Um, what we've all been saying so far?" Kazuichi said, confused. "What you like doing, what you don't like, your dreams. All that."

Nekomaru began to laugh. "Hahahaha! Oh, right! I should have realized it sooner!"

This guy…..

"Hmm, let's see now." Nekomaru began to seriously consider his words. "I guess, as a team manager, there's nothing I like more than seeing the athletes I've worked alongside achieve their dreams. For me, that is what I like most, and is also my dream. To help others overcome the obstacles in their path, it's what I live for! That is why none of you should hesitate to come to me for help! I'll even grant you world peace like you want, Uzumaki!"

Naruto laughed. "That would be a huge help, thanks."

Nekomaru smirked. "But of course." He then frowned. "I suppose what I dislike most is lazy people. Those who do nothing but complain about their situation when they could be doing something productive in order to attain their goals. That's what I can't stand most."

So even Nekomaru had his serious side, huh?

'I'm glad I did this,' Naruto thought. He was seeing different sides to his classmates that he hadn't been privy to before. It was an eye-opener, and it was sure to help everyone understand one another better too.

Mahiru stood up straight as the attention shifted to her.

"As many of you know already, I like taking pictures of people, more accurately their smile. To me, that is the best thing you can possibly hope to capture in a photo. It also makes me happy when I see that these pictures of mine, filled with smiles, make other people smile as well. It's like a snowball effect, with my pictures at the center of it. What I don't like is deleting a picture." She smiled as she looked down at her camera. "To this day, I have never once deleted a picture that I have taken. To me, it would be like trying to deny that that moment ever existed. And I could never do that. Every moment of your life should be important to you. That's what I believe."

There really was a bigger story to her pictures in the end. Naruto had already guessed as much. From the looks of things, Mahiru had a special admiration for normal, everyday events. One might this to be boring, but not Mahiru. In her eyes, it was beautiful. On the flip side, she loathed war, if her reaction to his reading material had been anything to go by. Naruto knew he was still missing some context, but he was already building a greater understanding of the person known as Koizumi Mahiru.

"If I have anything resembling a dream, then I suppose it's that I hope to fill people with hope and happiness with my pictures," Mahiru concluded softly.

Huh. So hers and Naruto's dreams coincided...

'Helping the idiot might not be so bad...'

Everyone felt uplifted by her words. The most "normal" one here, accomplishing that. Funny how that worked.

Hiyoko followed next. "I really like candy, and Japanese food of course! Rice, fish, miso, soy cause….I could totally live on Japanese food alone! It's the best if you ask me. What I dislike is how people try to import everything from stupid places like the West. Why do we have to do that when we already have such great things here?"

Teruteru said, "It's more about unity than anything else I believe….."

As a cook, he took inspiration from other cuisines from time to time. It was only natural.

"And that's why I think it's stupid." Instead of looking haughty or sneering, Hiyoko had a more calm and serious expression. "We should protect the things that are close to us, right? If we try to unite, we'll be losing all that is dear to us. I mean, it's pretty old-fashioned thinking, but what's wrong with thinking old-fashioned thoughts? I don't think we should be totally excluding everything and everyone….but just protect what's important to us, you know? That way, we don't lose ourselves."

How very unexpected.

"I guess even you can say some nice stuff sometimes," Fuyuhiko said with a smirk.

Hiyoko huffed. "How rude! I'll have you know I'm always serious!" She tapped her cheek. "I guess I just think this way because of the industry I'm involved in, which is pretty old-fashioned."

"There is something to be said about an old industry trying to adapt to a new changing world," Nagito commented.

"Traditional dancing, huh?" Naruto muttered. "I've never actually seen anything like that before honestly."

"Huuuuuh?" Hiyoko was aghast. "You really never seen one of us perform!?"

"Yeah…..not from around here, remember?"

"Still….." She then laughed. "Oh well. An idiot like you probably wouldn't get it anyway~"

She still liked to tease him, huh?

"I think it would be a good idea if Saionji-san performed for us right here," Sonia suggested. "That way, we could all see for ourselves."

Truth be told, Sonia had never seen one of these dances in person either, so she was excited to experience it firsthand.

"W-What?" Hiyoko began to blush. "But that's-…..I mean, I don't even have any music!"

"Leave it to the great Ibuki!" Ibuki suddenly pulled out a pair of drumsticks from behind her, as well as a small wooden drum decorated with purple glitter.

"What the-?" Nekomaru leaned in closer. "Did you bring those with you?"

"Na, Ibuki made these from the trees," she clarified. "Ibuki had time to kill after she finished decorating her tree trunk, so that is why she has these now!"

She had been able to make something like that? Nice.

Naruto watched on, along with the others, as Ibuki began to play a tune on the drum. It seemed her skills went beyond just the guitar.

Seeing this, Hiyoko had no choice but to stand up from her seat and indulge the "idiots" in what they wanted. It wasn't because she wanted to do it, not at all. She pulled out a small fan from the sleeves of her kimono, which she had on her almost always. It wasn't as big as the ones she usually used when she performed, but it would have to do.

The others all sat back and watched how Ibuki and Hiyoko began to perform together. They were clearly doing their own thing, but it still had its appeal, oddly enough. At least, it was enough to make their dinner a helluva lot more enjoyable than before. Ibuki wasn't as bizarre with the drum as she was with her electric guitar, so that kinda helped set the mood for them.

And so, the section B of the 77th class spent their first night on their camping trip together, eating and enjoying the show performed by two of their friends. There was a new addition to their group as well, a little red fox. It was a simple night, all things considered.

But damn if it wasn't fun.

* * *

 **I. Am. Back.**

 **And boy do I have a lot to cover. I'm definitely proud of the interest this story has garnered, so thank you all for that. When I first decided to write this, I was sure that, like, only fifty people would be reading. Good thing I was wrong on that account.**

 **Now onto other matters. There are several things I want to address. Firstly, someone asked me if Hajime was going to play a role in this story, or if I was cutting him entirely. And the answer is: of course I'm not cutting him. We gotta have our boy Hajime enjoy the fun too. When will he be introduced? Well, he'll make his official appearance right around when the twilight descends. I'm sure most of you know what that means. The 78th class will also have their time to shine too. Honestly, this first arc is just about Naruto going down the beginning stages of bonding with his class. And with this chapter, the whole issue with Konoha and the war and all that finally rests. For the time being that is….what do I mean by that? Who knows. Well, I know. But you catch my meaning.**

 **Someone raised a complaint that Naruto was bonding too quickly with the others. I take several issues with this complaint. As someone else has already pointed out in a previous review, the members of the 77th class were all loners and starved for friendship. People either were too afraid to get near them because of their status, or were treated harshly in the past for various reasons. The only one this doesn't apply to is Mahiru, but her friendship with Sato is so toxic I'm willing to group her with the others too. Then here comes along Naruto, someone who sees them not for their talents, but just as themselves. He's actively trying to get close to them too, so of course they would all jump at that opportunity. Keep in mind that this is the same Naruto that was able to sweet talk Pain into betraying Obito, and then sweet talked Obito into betraying Madara. Naruto's charisma and ability to bond with others are some of the core aspects of his character. Not only that, but if this were Island mode, he would have two hearts, possibly three, with most of them. It's not like they're the best of friends yet. Future arcs with solidify that. Like I said before, this first arc is just the beginning stages. I will focus on each character individually as the story progresses.**

 **This brings me to the next topic: who will Naruto start to bond more closely with? I have given myself some wiggle room in this matter to be honest. Sure, some character moments are essential and will have to take place at certain times over others (i.e. which girl Naruto will date.) But overall, I'm able to pick and choose. That's why I'll probably start with either Teruteru, Nekomaru, or Akane. Or maybe Mahiru. Why them? Because they're never touched upon in other Danganronpa crossovers, from what I've seen anyway. The other stories are more focused on Naruto just getting a harem and ignore all other characters, or have Naruto acting like a whole different person and derail so far that I'm not even sure why they even call their protagonist Naruto, and so on. I don't want to do any of that. Ultimately, if there's a character you guys want me to focus on first and there's enough support for it, then I might end up doing just that.**

 **This brings me to my last topic. I had someone ask me who my favorite and least favorite characters were in the franchise. I had them guess based on the story, and they ended up getting my favorite character right. My least favorite…not so much. So I pass the question to you guys. Who do you think my favorite and least favorite characters are?**

 **Damn, that was a lot. But that's all from me. And yes, Nagito not "introducing" himself was by design.**

 **Hope you've enjoyed it.**

 **Till next time.**


	9. The Ultimate Camping Experience Part III

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8:  
The Ultimate Camping Experience Part III**

"Holy shit, this place isn't that bad!"

"Naruto-san, language please. We don't need _two_ loudmouths in this group."

"H'mph, don't look at me while saying that, you bitch."

"See what I mean! You need delicacy when talking to women! And you too, Naruto-san!"

"Boooo~ Don't be so stubborn, Mahiru~"

"I'm not the stubborn one here!"

"Mahiru-chan _is_ pretty stubborn."

"There is no reason for you to join in, Mioda-san! And don't defend them either!"

"Ibuki goes where no Ibuki has gone before!"

"Ah, don't change the subject!"

"H'mph, loudmouth idiots."

"I swear, I'm going to get mad!"

Mikan watched the exchange between her friends, yes _friends_ , with a small smile as she walked alongside Naruto.

It was the second day of their trip, which made this a Thursday for them. Friday was their last day unfortunately, but this 3-day camping trip was going excellent in Mikan's mind.

The class had decided to go hiking after breakfast, which Teruteru had prepared for them. It was more soup, but the soup was still delicious so no one could complain. After that, they had set for the hiking trail that was nearby. This was one of the main attractions of this camp site. It was one of the reasons Fuyuhiko had picked it out for them apparently.

Anyway, they were now on this trail. Akane had gone off ahead since Naruto had promised to finally have their fight at the end of the trail, which was supposedly on the summit of the mountain. It was by no means a tall mountain, so there was no risk of danger here.

Probably.

Naruto and Mikan were up front, with Fuyuhiko, Mahiru, Ibuki, Peko, Chiaki, and Hiyoko trailing behind them. Nagito, Sonia, Gundham, Nekomaru, and Kazuichi were behind them, and finally Ryota and Teruteru were trailing at the very end. The last two in particular didn't seem to be enjoying this hiking experience all that much. And just like with Gundham's hamsters, Kurama had decided to join them on this little expedition of theirs. He seemed to be doing a lot better now, having joined them for breakfast. He had eaten some of the deer meat leftovers from the previous night, under Gundham's instruction. As foxes were omnivores, there was no problem with this at all apparently.

The little fox in question had draped himself around Naruto's shoulders, holding his head up high as he took in everything around him. Naruto was surprised but happy that the young fox liked him so much. According to Gundham, he had said that the fox was eternally grateful for being saved. Naruto had believed the breeder, but Kazuichi still had his doubts that Gundham could actually talk to animals. That had more to do with his one-sided rivalry with the guy than anything else, though.

"I-I don't think I'll make it, y'all!" Teruteru cried out from the back of the group. A weird accent seemed to be slipping into his speech every now and then, but no one seemed to notice. Or care.

Hiyoko looked smug. "Well, it's no surprise. You don't have the physique of an athlete to keep up with the rest of us."

Kazuichi scratched his cheek. "Says the girl who needed to be carried by Uzumaki a few minutes back."

This was true. The sandals she was wearing, while ideal for dancing and normal everyday life, weren't exactly suitable for the hiking trail. Naruto had offered to carry her part of the way up, and Hiyoko had decided to accept the offer. To her, it was a lot better than being carried by Nekomaru, who smelled. To her, he smelled anyway. Not only that, but she felt more safe around the blond than anyone else, which was crazy since they had only known each other for a few days now.

Still, this did not mean that Hiyoko wanted to be reminded of this fact, a fact that showed on her face when she started blushing.

"S-Shut up! That was completely different!"

Kazuichi grinned in a teasing manner. "Sure it was."

Hiyoko huffed and turned her attention back to the trail. A deadbeat like Kazuichi wasn't worth her time!

"This place is still spectacular!" Sonia praised the scenery around her. Her eyes were filled with excitement and happiness, it was almost like she was a little girl. "I cannot believe Japan has such amazing sights!"

"H'mph, this is nowhere near the most impressive challenge," Gundham said, his arms crossed. "This is but a beginner's test. Surely nothing worth praising."

"Well, it's no Forest of Death," Naruto said under his breath. He still liked the way this place felt. If only he could use Sage Mode, then he would have liked to have known how nature here felt, as opposed to nature back in his world.

He would never know unfortunately.

Mahiru managed to capture several shots of Sonia and Gundham exchanging ideas about future travels while Kazuichi looked annoyed in the background, as well as a few of Nagito just simply laughing in amusement at all of this. She had taken many the night before as well, especially when Ibuki and Hiyoko had put on that little performance for them during dinner. It was a magical time for the whole class, and Mahiru was going to enjoy looking at them later.

Akane came back running towards them a moment later, picking up dust behind her. Really, this girl was just too excitable. It was hard to keep up with her sometimes, and this _Naruto_ who was thinking this.

"What's the hold up!?" she shouted at them in slight annoyance. "I've been waiting for you guys at the top for the past fifteen minutes!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Hiyoko yelled back at her. "Some of us would actually like to _enjoy_ the journey." This was a first for her as well. Given her family's reputation, it was rare for her to partake in any activities that didn't revolve around her talent or family duties. She wanted to enjoy this just as much as the others did. She just didn't want to show that side of her to the others since it was embarrassing.

"Why are you so eager to fight Uzumaki again anyway?" Nekomaru asked her. "You already know what the outcome will be."

"No, we don't!" Akane smacked her open palm with her fist. "In battle, nothing is decided until the end! Besides, I'm more ready for him this time! He won't be able to catch me off guard like last time!"

"I'm with the others on this one, Akane." Naruto thanked Mikan who handed him a bottle of water. The nurse had been the one to volunteer to bring them in case anyone needed them. Teruteru had already drank three, while Ryota had brought a soda can with him to replenish his thirst. "This is the first time I'm taking a trip this far from my village. I want to take in the sights at least a little bit."

Another half-truth, half-lie. Naruto was getting good at those.

"Aw man, but that's, like, so boring," Akane grumbled.

"Ah." Chiaki tilted her head. "It's certainly not the type of fun I'm used to. This is a lot…..sweatier than my usual pass times."

"IT BUILDS CHARACTER!" Nekomaru shouted at the top of his lungs, the electric blue aura around his eyes amplifying in strength with his shout. "A fit body is a healthy body! It's like when you take a shit every morning!"

Hiyoko looked disgusted by his words. "Seriously, just die."

"I need…...to maintain…...my fat ratio," Ryota managed to force out from the back.

Naruto had no idea what the boy meant by that at all. Was he like Choji or something, where his skills required his fat? But he was an animator, not a fighter.

'Not that I really know much of what an animator does…...'

Mikan fidgeted in place. "I-I believe that drinking soda while hiking is not a very good idea, Mitarai-san….."

The boy hugged the soda can close to his body. "I will protect it with my life if I must!"

Cue group sweatdrop. Ryota was usually quite and reserved, just like with Chiaki. But when it came to junk food and the like, he was certainly more passionate than anyone else around.

Fuyuhiko scoffed. "Let's just ignore the lazy fools, and keep going."

"It's…...just that...my body was not built for this," Teruteru moaned in pain. "But of course…if someone was willing to carry me…...to hug my body close to theirs…...I think I could do better that way. Rawr. Hehehehe."

"That's soooooo creepy!" Ibuki shouted with her head raised to the sky.

Mahiru glared at the round boy. "Even when you're exhausted, you're still a creep."

Nagito chuckled. "Yep, I don't think they're falling for that one, Hanamura-kun."

Teruteru was too weak to protest.

Even with the complaints from their resident cook and animator, the group was still able to continue with the hike in relative peace. Of course, the most excited ones were obviously Akane and Sonia, for different reasons. Mahiru was just happy that she had been able to get a picture of everyone while they hiked. She even got a group photo too! Definitely worth saving for later.

A few minutes later, and they finally arrived at the top.

"W-Wow." Mikan looked around the clearing that was basically at the top of the mountain. There were a lot of trees, even up here. But as said earlier, this wasn't a very tall mountain to begin with. It shouldn't be surprising to see trees at this altitude, but Mikan was still amazed. A little further up was the true peak of the mountain. It was a very small spot, though, so it would take them climbing it one at a time to reach it.

No one seemed too keen to try it.

The focus was more on Naruto and Akane who were both getting ready to finally face one another.

"Man, this is so stupid," Hiyoko complained as she made herself comfortable on a big enough rock to sit on. By this point, getting her kimono dirty was no longer an issue for her. "Big Bro already crushed her before. Why does this need to happen again?"

"Because Owari is a very stubborn woman," Nekomaru answered with a shake of his head. "Once she sets her mind on something, it's nearly impossible to convince her otherwise."

"What a pain."

'Not like you're any different,' Kazuichi thought, but he kept it to himself. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of the little girl's verbal lashing. Not again.

"Here, Mikan." The nurse nearly squeaked when Naruto passed Kurama to her. "You can hold on to him for now, right?"

The little fox didn't seem to mind being held in the nurse's arms, but Mikan was still apprehensive about the idea.

"I-I don't know. Does he even like me?"

Naruto smiled. "The fact that he's not fighting back is a good sign I think. Besides, you saved his life too. I'm sure he knows that."

Naruto was no Gundham, but even he liked to think that animals were a lot smarter than people gave them credit for sometimes. Even in this world. Gundham's hamsters were proof of that.

Speaking of the boy, he didn't seem to have any problems with Naruto's idea either. He would surely speak up if he felt the fox was being mistreated in some way.

That's why Mikan finally relented. But she only blushed when the fox began to make himself feel more comfortable against her chest. She wasn't used to that sort of contact, after all.

Naruto didn't notice this and instead turned to face Akane again in the middle of the clearing. It wasn't nearly as safe as the forest, as one could potentially fall from up here and go crashing down. However, Naruto was confident in his abilities as well as Akane's to make sure that didn't come to pass.

Nekomaru stood in between them, acting like the mediator for their spar.

"Finally!" Akane shouted, nearly jumping in excitement. Naruto nearly raised an eyebrow when he saw her form go more feral than before. "I've been waiting a long time to face you, Uzumaki!"

It's only been, like, two days at the most.

"It's like seeing two video games character facing one another," Chiaki commented from the sidelines. For once, she didn't have her games with her and was instead staring at her two fellow classmates with great intensity.

Peko sighed. "I know how that feels."

"Huh?" Kazuichi glanced at her. "What does that mean?"

"Many times, when I'm just walking down the street, people tell me I look like this character, or this other character. I believe the term they used was…...cosplay. They believe that I am cosplaying as someone else. Clearly I'm just being me. That's why I can understand what Nanami-san is saying."

Kazuichi looked at the sword she was carrying. With that thing nearly always on her, it was easy to think that she was trying to cosplay as some fighting game character or something. Good thing he knew better. He didn't want to know if her bokken was as deadly as a real sword.

"Let the rumble commence!" Ibuki cheered, drawing the attention back to Naruto and Akane.

Nekomaru gave them the clear and stepped back as Akane instantly pounced on the blond. Naruto heard the clicking of a camera behind him, meaning that Mahiru was probably going to keep pictures of this spar too. How nice of her.

Those thoughts drifted to the side for now as he ducked underneath Akane's punch. Once again, Naruto was impressed by the ferocity displayed by the girl, especially when the punch was able to send a shock wave even when coming in contact with nothing. He couldn't admire it for long, though, as Akane quickly came back with a high kick this time, making Naruto have to duck down in order to dodge it. This was where he faced his first problem.

Akane's panties.

Blushing, the blond skidded back to put some distance between himself and the gymnast.

"Oi! Don't do a high kick while you're wearing a skirt! Are you mad!?"

"Huh?" Akane didn't seem to understand the problem. "What's wrong with that!?"

"You're giving me a free shot of your panties! Get it!?"

The others all facepalmed in the background. Things had started so serious too.

"It's just panties, right?" Akane shrugged. "I don't see the problem."

Naruto spluttered, unable to come to a proper response here. Just what kind of values did this girl have anyway!?

"Anyway, forget that! I'm all fired up now!" Akane exclaimed as she dashed for Naruto again. The blond's embarrassment faded away as he went back on the defensive again, all the while admiring the speed and power behind her moves. That said, there was something else he was starting to notice. It was the same thing Nekomaru had picked up when Akane had challenged him during their first day.

Akane's lack of form.

Her moves were wild and unpredictable, but she had no true form to call her own. That's why she couldn't connect with combos as well as she otherwise could. It was the same way Naruto had struggled with a taijutsu style back in the day until he learned senjutsu. Before that, his taijutsu had been more about misdirection with his shadow clones and just street fighting really. Not exactly the best, especially when compared to Lee's and Guy's taijutsu prowess.

Nagito watched as Naruto and Akane continue to trade blows with one another, with the blond either dodging or blocking every single of her attacks. He too had noticed something peculiar.

"Hmm, how very strange."

Sonia looked at him. "Is something wrong, Komaeda-san?"

Nagito chuckled. "Oh, it's not worth mentioning if someone as lowly as me was able to notice it."

Sonia didn't know how to respond to that.

Peko was the one who spoke up. "Naruto-san is holding back."

Sonia gasped. "W-What?"

Peko nodded. "When we sparred, his actions were different. Since he's not used to holding a sword, he had to compensate with his other skills. But here, where he has more experience, he's able to take things easier."

Nagito smiled. "That sounds about correct."

"But for you to notice that," Peko looked at Nagito, "I'm impressed."

Nagito chuckled some more. "To be praised by the **Ultimate Swordswoman** like that…...hahaha, I'm quite honored."

Peko took the weird comment in stride.

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "It just means that Uzumaki is out of her league. Which makes this spar pointless."

Ryota frowned a little. "I don't think Owari-san sees it that way…..."

Fuyuhiko didn't care enough to respond.

With Naruto and Akane, the gymnast was able to realize the same thing as Peko and Nagito, that Naruto was holding back against her.

"Don't take me so lightly!" she shouted in anger. "This isn't what we agreed on, Uzumaki!"

Naruto, still on guard, watched the panting girl glare at him. If he was being honest, this was the first time he was seeing Akane truly angry. Before, it was only annoyance. Now, it was definitely closer to anger. From the looks of things, she had considered this spar to be very important. Naruto had not seen it that way. To him, it was more along the lines of seeing more of what Akane could do. And he had. It was like her whole body was put together for fighting. The tittle of **Ultimate Gymnast** didn't do her justice.

Nekomaru shook his head. "I believe you have insulted her, Uzumaki."

"That's not nice of you, Naruto-chan!" Ibuki exclaimed.

"Ah." Chiaki tilted her head. "Bad Uzumaki-san."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. And now everyone was ganging up on him. Great.

"I didn't mean for you take it that way, Akane," Naruto said, with honesty. "I just got too caught up in studying your moves. But I guess if I was in your position, I probably would be reacting the same way too. I'm sorry for that."

Akane smirked. "As long as you take this more seriously, then I won't hold it against ya."

"That so?" Naruto got into his stance. Without Sage Mode, he could never again bring out the full potential of Frog Kata. Once they got back to Hope's Peak, he knew that he would need to make a lot of changes to his fighting style. Maybe Nekomaru could help him with that too.

Anyway, that was for later. Right now, he needed to teach a certain gymnast a lesson, so this would have to do.

Peko's eyes studied Naruto's form, finding herself entranced by the stance. It was different from all the hand-to-hand techniques she had studied before. So what was this?

Nekomaru was thinking along the same lines right now.

As before, Akane charged Naruto again, unable to contain herself any longer. Unlike before, though, when Naruto blocked her first strike, he quickly responded with a quick punch to her gut. Akane doubled over, her vision going dark for just a second.

That punch had hurt a lot more than Nekomaru's, and that was saying something. Strictly speaking, Nekomaru had more explosive power than Naruto. What Naruto was able to do was concentrate more of his power into a single area, whereas Nekomaru just let his power loose. That was why Akane felt a lot more pain from a single strike.

Her resilience wasn't for nothing, though, and she quickly recovered and went back in for payback with a punch of her own. Naruto still blocked this and landed another strike on her abdomen, this one sending her rolling back across the ground like a rag doll.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Nekomaru fell into laughter at this. "That was an excellent counter-strike, Uzumaki! Better than anything else I've ever seen!"

Well, gosh.

"Holy shit." Kazuichi whistled at what he had just seen. "I can't believe Uzumaki could do something like that."

"Hmm." Nagito appeared thoughtful. "I never would have considered a ninja to be so skilled in martial arts like this…..."

To the lucky boy, Naruto defied what a conventional ninja should be. At least, what history remembered them to be like. Then again, the term "ninja" was very broad. Even in the past, no two ninja were ever alike. Their skills all depended on the region they were from, and what they were tasked to do. Ninja were diverse, and all sorts of groups existed in Japan's history. How did Nagito know all of this? Because he had taken the time to study about ninja before coming to this trip. He had felt ashamed for not knowing more of Naruto's existence before they had met at Hope's Peak Academy, so he had tried to rectify that by brushing up on his knowledge about the ninja. It was a very interesting topic to say the least.

At the end of the day, there was no denying Naruto's fighting prowess, and Nagito counted himself lucky to be able to witness it firsthand. Yes, very lucky indeed.

Fuyuhiko just shook his head. "He's a crazy bastard. Nothing new here."

Akane still managed to stand up, even with all the bruising. "T'ch, I'm still not done yet!"

Hiyoko snorted. "She's crazy, she wants to get herself killed!"

"I don't think continuing this would be a great idea," Mahiru muttered, worried for Akane's safety.

Akane didn't listen, and instead rushed for Naruto again. The blond met her strikes with his own, the two blocking and trading blows with one another. Naruto was surprised by this for a moment, that the girl could still increase her speed. He responded by increasing his own again, with Akane unable to do the same.

One final blow to her gut and the gymnast fell to her knees, blood dripping down her lips.

"O-Oh no!" Mikan gasped, and she nearly ran up to them to stop them. It was only thanks to Nagito placing a hand on her shoulders that she stopped herself.

Kazuichi had to wince when he saw the blood. "Oh, man."

"That doesn't look good," Sonia said, her face troubled.

Nekomaru didn't look worried, though. "Is that enough for you, Owari?"

Coughing, Akane wiped the blood away with her hand. "Y-Yeah. I hate to admit it, but he got me."

Naruto grinned. "I guess you can only accept it by force, huh?"

"Stubborn woman, like I said." Nekomaru pointed at Naruto. "As obvious as it should be, Uzumaki is the winner!"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto started to cheer in place, even doing a little dance. "Bow before the awesomeness that is Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Don't get carried away, you idiot!" Akane glared up at him. Unfortunately, she still couldn't stand up. "Next time, I'll get you! I know I will!"

"I'm always up for a challenge." Naruto helped her up to her feet. "Having a sparring partner is always beneficial in getting stronger."

"Nicely put," Nekomaru said, also agreeing.

"Whoooo!" Ibuki was the first one to run up to them, her enthusiasm surpassing theirs. "That was awesome! It was like 'woosh!', and then 'waaaahh!', and she was like 'oh no!', and it was just so fun!"

That sounded about right.

"You guys looked a bit too serious for a moment there," Kazuichi said, laughing nervously. "I thought you were getting ready to kill one another."

The blood didn't help either.

"A-Are you alright, Owari-san?" Of course, Mikan was all over Akane to check for any permanent damage. "We need to look you over at once!"

Kurama jumped out of her arms and onto Naruto's shoulder again. He seemed to prefer that spot above all else.

"Huh?" Akane picked her ear, now bored. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've been beaten like this."

"Now that's just worrying," Mahiru shook her head. "You really need to look out for yourself, Owari-san."

"Jeez, you don't have to act like my mother now. And Tsumiki, I said I was alright!" Akane was clearly not enjoying all the attention she was receiving from Mikan.

"I'm still confused about something," Naruto said, catching Akane's attention. "You can clearly fight, so why the heck are you the **Ultimate Gymnast** and not something else?"

"I was kinda curious about that too," Kazuichi admitted.

"How the heck should I know?" Akane rolled her eyes. She was slightly annoyed by all the questions they were throwing her way. Was she some mystery box that needed to be open or something? "Like I said, some old geezer suggested I take up gymnastics and wouldn't leave me alone until I did. Then some guy from Hope's Peak came and told me I was invited to the school and that's how I'm here. That's it."

"Um." Chiaki had something on her mind too. "You said last night that you didn't care for gymnastics. Or was I imagining that?"

"I said it wasn't a big deal or anything," Akane replied with a hand on her hips. "I just did it cause I could win prize money. And all the traveling helped me bring stuff to my brothers and sisters too." She smiled widely. "Totally a win-win!"

"So you did gymnastics for the money?" Naruto scratched his head. She had said the same thing last night too, if he remembered correctly. "Well, I guess that sort of makes sense. If it was easy money…..."

"Anyway, who cares about all that!" Akane started to do some stretches. "That fight made me hungry! When are we eating again?"

"I-I just cooked something for you guys!" Teruteru cried out, still not used to the girl's appetite.

"Oh, yeah." Akane grinned. "Think you can make more?"

"I'm gonna be worked to the bone, aren't I?" Teruteru said, although he didn't sound too depressed about it.

Naruto was still trying to think about Akane's past a bit more but stopped when Mikan started to pull on his shirt.

"A-Are you okay, Uzumaki-san? I'm supposed to be your nurse, but I was only concerned with Owari-san…..." She looked to be near tears, as she was sure that Naruto must hate her now.

The blond simply patted her on the head. "Yeah, I'm good. Akane had a lot of strength behind those punches of hers, but it was nothing I can't handle."

Mikan had to bask in his touch.

"Are we going down now?" Hiyoko balled up her hands into fists. "Because it's starting to get boring again!"

"How can you be so bored?" Sonia looked around, taking in the scenery. It was just like Naruto had told her. Being one with nature. It was a spectacular thing. "This place is beautiful!"

"Hehehe." Ibuki winked and stuck out her tongue. "Ibuki feels like she can compose an entire song up here~"

"Yay!" Hiyoko was on board with that. "I wanna listen to another one!"

Out of the whole group, Hiyoko was the only one who seemed to enjoy Ibuki's music. Well, Naruto was confused by it, but it still couldn't be classified under "enjoyment" like Hiyoko.

"I guess I wouldn't mind taking photos of that." As usual, Mahiru tried to be optimistic about the situation.

The group began their trek down, with Akane leading the way again. Despite her injuries, she didn't seem fazed at all.

Mikan still made sure to look her over again when they got back to camp, though.

* * *

"Alright, I'll bite. Why are we here, Kazuichi?"

"Hehe. It's because I, the great Soda Kazuichi, have come up with the greatest plan ever in the history of all of mankind!"

Naruto didn't seem convinced at all by the boy's words.

Fuyuhiko scowled. "T'ch, this is so stupid. Why am I here again?"

Gundham had his eyes closed. "I, too, wonder about my presence here."

"I only brought you here because you were nearby! I can't have you spilling the beans about this to the others!" Kazuichi glared at the breeder before turning to Naruto and Fuyuhiko. "But come on, you two. This is the first step to making the best memories in our high school career!"

"This sounds like a pain."

Naruto was with Fuyuhiko on this. Kurama was still with him, but the small fox was silently napping on his shoulder with his tail keeping him in place.

"Don't say that. You're gonna make me sad over here. Especially since this will benefit you all too!"

"Alright, I'll bite." Naruto gave the mechanic a dry stare. "Why did you pull us away from the camp?"

Naruto, Fuyuhiko, and Gundham had been talking amongst themselves after their hike up the mountain, with the blond asking the **Ultimate Breeder** for more tips about what to do with Kurama once they got back to Hope's Peak Academy. Gundham was already making plans to make sure the fox would be well-adjusted after this, something Naruto was happy for. Fuyuhiko was just curious about the whole thing.

Teruteru had been planning his next meal for them, while Ryota had wondered off. Only Nagito and Nekomaru had been lazing off. The girls had all splintered off to take care of something. What that was, Sonia wouldn't say. The princess had been the one to gather them apparently.

Grinning, Kazuichi said, "I was able to figure out what Miss Sonia is planning on doing with the other girls!"

"And that concerns us how?"

"I'm getting there! Don't be impatient, Kuzuryu." Fuyuhiko t'ched but kept quiet and allowed Kazuichi to continue. "Apparently Miss Sonia asked the other girls to accompany her to the lake for a quick dive. And they're all gonna wear swimsuits!"

In Sonia's words, she had taken a page from Naruto's book to invite them to get to know each other better. A girls' date, or something like that. Kazuichi wasn't too thrilled with Sonia saying she wanted to imitate Naruto, but still. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up!

Naruto wasn't surprised in the slightest. "That's what we're here for?"

"W-What?" Kazuichi stared at them. "You're not excited about this?"

"What the hell do you think?" Fuyuhiko sighed and looked down. "What do you even want to do with this information anyway?"

He already had an idea, but he wanted to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

"We go spy on them of course! Or see if we can join in on the fun! Surrounded by a bunch of cute girls, while they're in swimsuits…...it's a man's passion!"

Gundham h'mphed. "What a waste of time."

"Y-You don't get a say in this!"

Now he was just being unfair.

"Man, do you have any idea what you're suggesting?" Naruto didn't want to think that Kazuichi was an idiot, but maybe he was. "You got Peko-chan with them, who would slice us in half if she ever found us out."

Fuyuhiko was mentally nodding to that.

"The other girls wouldn't be happy with us either, making it more likely for us to get our asses kicked by them. I'm not looking to do that on this trip."

"D-Don't say that!" Kazuichi pleaded. "Besides, you can match Pekoyama with her sword! And you already defeated Owari!"

Okay, so he was an idiot. Good to know.

Naruto was ready to slap some sense into him. "Don't you know anything, you idiot!? You don't want to cross paths with pissed-off girls! They get like a hundred percent power increase just from their anger alone! It makes no sense, but they can defy reality like that!"

He had learned that firsthand from all the beatings he had gotten from Sakura and Tsunade.

"Such is the forbidden power," Gundham added.

"Then we just don't let it come to that!" Kazuichi retorted. "We can hide, and none of them would be the wiser!"

"Dude, you just want to see Sonia in a swimsuit, don't you?"

"And what's wrong with that!? I can dream too!"

Naruto mentally groaned. 'This guy is more desperate than I thought if he's willing to do this…...'

Kinda reminded Naruto of that time he _almost_ peeped on Sakura in the hot springs. Ero-Sennin had rubbed off a little too much on him sadly.

"You can also see what Tsumiki looks like in a swimsuit too!"

Naruto came out of his thoughts to look at Kazuichi with confusion.

"Uh. Why would I want to know that?"

Kazuichi faltered a bit. "Cause, ya know…...you two have a thing going on."

"We do? Since when?"

This was clearly news to the blond.

Fuyuhiko stepped in here. "This idiot isn't a horn dog. He really has no ulterior motives…..unlike someone else I know."

"If you got something to say, then say it!"

"I just did!"

"Say it clearer! I can take it!"

Naruto groaned out loud this time. "We're not gonna argue over this for hours. We can't-"

"How dare y'all!"

Fuyuhiko was tackled by none other than a crying Teruteru, the two crashing to the ground as a result.

"Teruteru!?" Naruto shouted with wide eyes. What the hell was the short cook doing here?

"Ugh, get off me, you sick bastard!" Fuyuhiko shouted from underneath the crying boy.

"This is not fair!" he said with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Leaving me out of something like this…...how cruel! So very cruel! I thought we were friends!"

"Uuuuuuhhhh…..." Naruto was at a loss for words here.

"How the hell did you find out!?" Kazuichi asked, his eyes wide too. He had made sure none of the others would find out about his secret master plan!

"Hahaha…..that might have been my fault."

They turned to see Nagito, Nekomaru, and Ryota all emerging from the woods from the direction of their camp.

Nagito smiled. "I might have told him that I thought you four were planning something, and then followed you here."

"What the hell, Komaeda!" Kazuichi shouted, nearly pulling his hair out. "Now my plan is ruined!"

"There was never a plan to begin with!" Naruto screamed in his direction.

"Yes, there was!"

"This plan of yours." Nekomaru crossed his arms over his massive chest. "It does seem like an invasion of privacy, does it not?"

"More like illegal," Ryota said. "Didn't the girls plan this among themselves?"

Fuyuhiko, who had managed to pry the crying Teruteru off him, said, "I don't know, and I don't care. All this shit is stupid anyway."

"It's passion!" Kazuichi reminded him. "Passion I say!"

"Mhmhmhm, I'm with you there." Teruteru stood next to Kazuichi now, blood dripping down his nose. "Just thinking about all of them in bikinis…..the choices they will make…...their pure forms hugged by that tiny piece of fabric…...oooohhh, it gets my buddy all excited!"

Naruto sweatdropped. "Seriously, think before you speak."

This guy was even worse than Jiraiya sometimes.

"Hohohoho. There are no problems there, Uzumaki-kun. For you see, I'm the type of pervert that everyone likes!"

"Well, your ability to fool yourself into thinking that is something I guess…..."

"Come on, you guys can't let me down on this!" Kazuichi returned to the topic at hand. "Just think about it! All the girls are ridiculously hot!…...well, except for Saionji. But forget about her! Don't you wonder what they would look like, glistening with water and in their swimsuits!? If you're a man, you know you agree!"

Despite Fuyuhiko's willpower, a small mental image of Peko in a bikini playing with a beach ball was able to slip through his mental defenses. And wow did his cheeks get red just from thinking about that alone. The usual Peko was calm and reserved. But this Peko…...

Cue more blushing from him.

Naruto started to madly shake him. "Don't get tempted, Fuyuhiko! We can't lose you to the perverted side!"

Teruteru whistled. "You can't help it. It just beckons you, with its sweet and comforting embrace. Let it flow through you, acting as your power. It will transform you into the person you want to be."

What the hell! He was like a cult leader now!

"Hahaha, oh my." Nagito was totally amused by all of this. "I can't believe we're planning something like this."

"Everybody is an idiot," Ryota muttered while shaking his head. Seriously, why did he get stuck with this group again?

Nekomaru just looked confused. "So what's happening…...?"

Gundham looked away. "This journey of ours, which will take us to the edge of the world…...can we really survive such a perilous journey?"

Naruto was forced to sweatdrop. "Really, Gundham? Even you? I thought you were better than that….."

The breeder simply pulled his scarf over his face to hide his red cheeks, but Naruto still saw the blush.

"Don't act so pure!" Kazuichi poked Naruto in the chest. "We all know you got Tsumiki working for you! Trying to corrupt her, and get her ready for your devious activities. I admire your plan, but that doesn't mean I'm not jealous!"

He wanted to be the same with Miss Sonia dammit. So why was this blond bastard the one who got his own private, hot nurse?

Naruto stared at the mechanic like he had grown an extra head. "I seriously have no idea what you're talking about."

How the hell could he come up with a plan that even he wasn't aware of? It's crazy. No, it was madness!

"Hahaha, I hate to say it, but I think Uzumaki-kun doesn't know the consequences of his actions," Nagito pointed out, still smiling as ever.

"Oi!" Naruto didn't know why or how, but he was sure they were talking bad about him.

"I still say we do it." Teruteru rubbed his chin. "Of course, if we go through with this, it means we'll have to take this to the grave. Unlike Miss Sonia, I don't think the other ladies will be so easily tricked."

"Dammit, I hate the way you phrased that, but you're probably right," Kazuichi grumbled. He didn't want anyone insulting his delicate princess. But it was true that she could be easily tricked sometimes.

"I still have no idea what's even happening here," Nekomaru said, looking at the others with confusion.

Grinning, Kazuichi patted the taller and muscular boy in the back. "We're about to work for our dreams, Nidai. You want that too, don't you? That's what every athlete should do, right?"

"I APPROVE OF YOUR WORDS!" Nekomaru shouted with great force.

'You're sneakier than I thought, appealing to his manager side like that,' Naruto thought with another sweatdrop.

But it was clear to him by this point that there was no stopping this. Fuyuhiko and Gundham were already tempted, Nekomaru was fooled by Kazuichi's sweet words, and Ryota didn't seem to be able to speak up loud enough for the others to hear.

Naruto petted the sleeping Kurama on the head and sighed.

He just knew that this was not going to end well for them.

* * *

"Yaaahhhhoooooo!" Ibuki was sprinting across the water of the lake at top speed, or as fast as she could go anyway.

"Incredible! The water is so cool!" Sonia gushed as she placed a foot in the water. It felt great on her skin.

"Hahaha, I'm surprised. I didn't think this lake would be this clean. Kuzuryu picked a great spot for us!" Mahiru said while snapping several pictures from where she sat.

As Kazuichi said, the girls were all by the lake and enjoying the beach feeling it brought. They had all changed into swimsuits that they had either brought with them or bought from the nearby shop in the facilities on the camping grounds.

It was surprising to see that most of them were wearing bikinis. The noticeable exception to this was Sonia, who were a dark and pink wetsuit. Despite this, she still seemed to be enjoying the water the most, other than Ibuki of course. The other exception was Hiyoko who was wearing a pure white one piece. It looked like a kid's swimsuit, but no one wanted to point that out lest they get on her bad side.

Some other campers nearby, mostly males, were stunned to silence as they stared at the girls from afar. The girls ignored them for the most part, other than Hiyoko who made the occasional snide remark about them.

"Man, I'm getting hungry again," Akane whined by the edge of the beach of the lake. "I should have eaten more of Hanamura's food when I had the chance."

"Just how much do you eat normally?" Mahiru wondered, still shocked by the figure Akane had when the girl ate so much. The redhead wore an olive bikini. It was a simple bikini set all things considered, but her natural beauty was more than enough to make the bikini shine.

"Huh? I never keep count." Akane sighed as she picked her ear. "I just eat whenever I can. You never know when food might disappear."

"I think that only applies to you," Mahiru said under her breath before focusing back on her pictures. She needed to make sure she got plenty of them. She was already beginning to get used to Akane's mannerisms, as with Teruteru's. It was sort of scary in a way, but she didn't mind it all that much.

Peko, Hiyoko, and Mikan were all together. It was an odd trio, but Peko was content enough to watch the two girls interact with one another. For once, she could see that Hiyoko wasn't just spouting insults at someone who wasn't Mahiru.

Chiaki was off enjoying the cool water of the lake, just like with Sonia. She had never once gone to see a lake in person before, or to the beach. But on this camping trip, she had already done a lot of things she had never tried before. This was just another one on an ever growing list for her.

This was the sight the guys arrived to. They all hid themselves inside the foliage of the forest that was just beyond the beach, namely a bush.

"No way," Kazuichi said, his eyes wide. "Is Miss Sonia wearing a wetsuit…..?"

Naruto snickered. "Disappointed?"

It would serve him right, but that didn't seem to be the case as Kazuichi started to squeal in delight.

"That's just like Miss Sonia. She makes anything she wears look good."

"Ah, that so?"

Goddammit. This guy recovered quickly, didn't he?

"Hehehehe, this is quite the stimulating sight." And of course, Teruteru was enjoying this as much as Kazuichi, if not more so. "I always knew they had great figures hidden underneath the clothes they wear. But seeing their lovely forms with my own eyes…...truly, what a great day this is!"

"Shut it, idiot. Don't be so loud." Naruto clamped his hand over the boy's mouth. "Do you want the girls to know we're here?"

"Huh?" Nekomaru was once again confused. "Would that really be wrong?"

Ryota sighed in disappointment. "You still have no idea what we're doing here, do you?"

Nekomaru was surprisingly pure in this area it seemed.

Fuyuhiko was too busy staring at Peko to say anything of note, while Gundham was more or less keeping to himself. But if one looked closely, they would notice Gundham's eyes going to the girls every few seconds.

They were all perverts, the lot of them. Naruto was disappointed in his new friends. Just why did he always have to be surrounded by perverts? Kakashi and Jiraiya had been the same way, and they had been two prominent male figures in his life.

He was just glad he hadn't followed their examples.

'Well, at least Nekomaru and Ryota aren't like that.' That was definitely a plus.

Nagito was just…..Nagito. It was hard to know what the guy was thinking when all he did was smile like usual.

"Shut up." Kazuichi rolled his eyes. "I bet you're staring at Tsumiki, aren't you?"

"Huh? Why?"

It was Kazuichi who was frustrated with him this time. "Huh? What do you mean, why? It's because you and her are a thing, right? Or what? Are you going for Miss Sonia? I won't forgive you if you do!"

Naruto scratched his head. "Again, I seriously have no idea what you're talking about."

"T'ch, you can't lie to-"

"I believe he's being sincere," Nagito said. "So I don't think you have anything to worry about, Soda-kun."

"You think so?" Kazuichi was ready to fight anyone for his destiny, said destiny being all about his and Sonia's future relationship. It was just meant to be, he knew this deep in his heart. "But I must say, I didn't think Nanami was that stacked. I guess that hoodie of hers really doesn't do her justice."

Naruto was thinking along the same lines. They weren't Tsunade's size, but still. He also noticed that Mikan had a very nice figure too, with her breasts rivaling that of Chiaki's. But that didn't surprise him all that much.

"I knew this would be heaven." Kazuichi fell into a state of total euphoria the longer he stared at Sonia and the others, but mainly Sonia. "To enjoy such a sight…...this is what high school is all about!"

"U-Ugh…..." Gundham seemed to be struggling with keeping his eyes off the girls. He was like one of those kids who finally found the cookie jar but had been forbidden from touching any of the cookies. It was that kind of reaction.

"Oh shit." Fuyuhiko suddenly cursed and ducked lower under the bushes.

"What? What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked him.

"It's Peko…..uh, yama." Fuyuhiko bit back a scowl at his mistake. "She's looking over this way….!"

"What!?" Naruto looked over to Peko's direction, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw the girl staring at the bush they were hiding in. "Shit, I think she knows we're here, guys."

Her senses must be greater than he thought if she could tell that someone was looking at her from this distance.

"Ohohohohoho." Teruteru managed to get Naruto's hand away from his mouth long enough to laugh. "Her sharp gaze makes my spine tingle…...!"

"Uh, dude." Kazuichi scratched his cheek, looking nervous. "I don't think this is a good thing. Pekoyama can wield a sword, ya know."

"That's exactly what I said earlier!" Naruto hissed.

"Yeah, well, I'm not good with thinking things through, okay!"

Nekomaru scoffed as he made to walk out of the bush. "You worry over nothing. We just have to talk this out, and-"

"And nothing! Hold him down, guys!" Naruto commanded the others to tackle Nekomaru to the ground before he could take one step out of the bush. Only Ryota and Nagato didn't join, the latter simply laughing at their antics while the former shook his head again.

'We're so gonna die…...'

* * *

Mikan had to stop enjoying her time in the water when she noticed Peko staring over to a bush leading to the forest and their camp.

"Hm? What's the matter, Pekoyama-san?"

Peko's eyes were narrowed and full of intensity. "I do not know. But…..I can't help but feel as though we are being watched right now."

"Huh?" Hiyoko curled her lip. "That's easy. Those gross guys keep staring over this way. Seriously, they're worse than ants. I can't stand people like that."

Mikan got the impression that Hiyoko secretly enjoyed the attention, but she was learning not to point such things out to the dancer. It saved her from the verbal lashings. She much preferred Naruto's head petting anyway. The blush on her face right now had nothing to do with that last thought, though. Not at all.

Peko wasn't convinced, though. "No. It is not them. It feels like…...a different pair of eyes. More vulgar in nature too…..."

Now Hiyoko was confused. "A different pair…..? But who would-"

She stopped mid-sentence when Nekomaru emerged from the bush Peko had been staring at with Teruteru and Kazuichi on top of him.

"Aaaahhh, being pressed up against a muscular man like this!" Teruteru swooned as he and the others rolled out from the bush. "It's an exquisite feeling I tell you!"

"Gross! Get me out of here!" Kazuichi shouted, near in tears as he was stuck in between the two boys.

Nekomaru was still as confused as ever, not understanding just what was happening right now.

"Ah, wait a minute!" Hiyoko quickly pointed at them. "You guys were peeping on us, weren't you!?"

The lake was technically open to anyone, but still! They were totally peeping!

"H-Huh?" Mikan nearly fell to the sand as she covered herself. "P-Peeping…...?"

Her delicate heart couldn't handle that thought.

"U-Uzumaki-san isn't with them, right…...?" She would die if that were the case. Having Naruto look at her ugly body would just be the worst thing ever for her.

The other girls started to take notice of them now too, with Mahiru shooting them a harsh glare.

"You guys…...!"

"A-Ah, wait a second!" Kazuichi fell to his butt and started to back away from them. "This isn't what it looks like!"

Teruteru whistled. "On the contrary…...this is _exactly_ what it looks like."

"Are you trying to get us killed!?" Kazuichi said in disbelief to the cook.

"I'm an honest man!" Teruteru declared with no regrets. "I wear my heart on my sleeve, you see. That's the truest way to love…...and to cook. It's all about the passion!"

Kazuichi could only gawk at him.

Nekomaru on the other hand laughed. "Gahahahaha! I understand what you mean very well, Hanamura! Men of passion are not to be underestimated!"

And the idiot had to go along with it…...just great. Kazuichi felt like he was the only sane one here.

Mahiru cleared her throat to grab their attention. "Excuse me, but….we have other business to take care of here."

"Oh, like what-"

Before Teruteru could finish, he was blown away to the skies from a kick, courtesy of Akane.

"Did I do that right?" she wondered. Mahiru had been the one to tell her to kick Teruteru while the three boys had been talking amongst themselves.

"Woah." Nekomaru nodded in approval. "Nice form. And nice power too. Impressive."

"Totally gnarly." Ibuki was right there with him.

Akane was happy with the praise.

"Oh, shut it." Mahiru crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. "We'll figure out what to do with you next, Nidai. Now, as for you, Soda…..."

The mechanic turned to the bush for help, but found it to be totally vacant now.

'They ran for it…...!?'

He succumbed under the despair of being betrayed like this. Not that he wouldn't have done the same if he had been in their position, but still!

Mahiru just smiled…...but it was a smile that promised a lot of pain while the rest of the girls stood behind her.

"I believe it's time for your punishment as well, Soda-kun~"

It was the first time the girl had added "-kun" to his name, but Kazuichi knew that it wasn't for good reasons this time.

May his soul rest in peace.

* * *

"What the-? Was that Teruteru just now? Flying into the air with hearts in his eyes?"

"Huh? Who the fuck knows? Idiot deserves what he got anyway."

After they had tackled Nekomaru, the team manager had started to fight back against them just on instinct alone. During the commotion, he, Teruteru, and Kazuichi had unfortunately rolled out from the safety of the bush, and into the girls' line of sight. It was then that Naruto and the others had ran for it. Better those three than all of them.

Poor Nekomaru, though. The big guy had been totally innocent in all of this. Hopefully the girls were nicer with him than with the other two idiots.

The remaining five boys were now heading back to camp to wait for the girls to return. It would better establish their alibi too.

Naruto playfully elbowed the yakuza on his side. "Oh, please. You were totally staring at Peko-chan back there. You got a thing for her?"

Fuyuhiko started to blush again. "I don't! And don't ever say that again, you idiot! Or I'll fucking kill you!"

Naruto laughed at the boy's response. He could totally tell by now that Fuyuhiko didn't mean what he said. It was just the way he spoke.

When they finally got back to camp, Kurama and the Four Dark Devas of Destruction started to enter into a mock fight with one another, much to Naruto's and Gundham's excitement.

The others gathered around as well, curious to see the aforementioned fight.

"Huh, I'm impressed he's able to move around like that so quickly," Nagito said as San-D managed to get on Kurama's tail when the young fox wasn't looking.

"Yeah." Naruto smiled. "Mikan did a great job patching him up. And Teruteru's food seemed to help a lot too."

Nagito smiled as well. "Ah, their talents really do shine brighter when working together, don't they?"

"For once, Nagito, I totally get what you said. And I agree."

"Ah. I'm glad."

"H'mph, I say it's more surprising that they're not killing one another," Fuyuhiko said with his arms crossed. "He's adapting a lot better than what you normally see."

"Don't underestimate their power for adaptation," Gundham spoke up. "Besides, I have already spoken to this familiar. He is more than happy to be in Uzumaki's care after his actions. He's also very happy with the treatment given by that healer."

"Oh." Nagito started to chuckle. "That's right. I had nearly forgotten. You can talk with animals, right?"

That's what the rumors said anyway.

Fuyuhiko snorted. "No way that's real."

Gundham smirked. "My abilities cannot be comprehended by lowly humans such as yourself. Does it make you cower in fear to know that I posses such abilities? Hm? Fuahahahaha!"

Fuyuhiko scowled. "T'ch, you can talk all big if you want. Doesn't change the fact that it's all bullshit."

Naruto was more open to the idea of Gundham being able to talk to animals than Fuyuhiko was. Shino and Kiba had been like that, and Akamaru could perfectly communicate with and understand them. Not like the blond could tell the others that, though. That would just open a whole can of worms the blond wasn't ready to deal with yet.

The girls arrived soon after, with Nekomaru and Kazuichi in tow. Nekomaru seemed to be okay while Kazuichi was a shuddering mess. He must have seen true hell for him to be reacting like that. But to Naruto, it was a lesson learned for the mechanic after coming up with that crazy and stupid idea.

As the girls were still in their swimwear, Fuyuhiko was forced to look away from Peko, still too embarrassed by his earlier thoughts to look at her normally right now. The swordswoman noticed this and was confused by her young master's reaction.

"Yo, welcome back." Naruto waved at the girls as Kazuichi ran for them and hid behind Ryota. "Did you enjoy the lake?"

Mahiru placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Don't give us that. Soda told us everything."

Naruto eyed the mechanic with disappointment. "Couldn't even spare your friends, huh?"

He scowled. "Don't start! You guys are the ones who left us behind!"

"It was your idea in the first place!"

"Yeah, but….! But you don't abandon your comrades like that!"

"Then don't come up with stupid ideas like that again!"

"Um." Sonia smiled. "I do not understand why you had to hide like that. It would have been fun if you could have joined us too. It may have been an event for just girls, but it's most fun when we're all together."

As usual, Sonia was the more understanding one.

Hiyoko just smiled in disdain. "I bet they would have just stared at us like the other perverts anyway."

Take that back! Naruto might like all the skin he was seeing right now, but that wasn't his fault! He was totally innocent here!

"Ahahahaha, boys will be boys!" Ibuki winked at them.

Was she angry or not? Naruto couldn't tell.

"Well, hopefully next time you can join us," Peko said, her face relaxed. It had been a while since she had had so much fun.

Mikan smiled. "I-I agree….."

The boys were more than happy to agree to it as well.

While the girls all got settled into their normal clothing again, a badly injured but smiling Teruteru limped back to camp from somewhere in the woods. Nobody knew where, and no one wanted to ask. The cook looked to be in bliss, so they decided to leave it at that.

Fuyuhiko still couldn't look Peko in the eyes, though. Naruto thought it was cute.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon again. Realizing this, Teruteru began to prepare their next meal for them, much to Akane's excitement. Naruto had to wonder what the cook was going to make for dinner this time, but it was probably going to be delicious either way.

The others all started to do their own thing as they began to feel more comfortable with one another. Sonia asked Chiaki about her games, Mahiru asked Ibuki and Hiyoko if they could perform together again, Nekomaru began to give Akane more tips about her training, and so on. Heck, even Ryota began to interact with the others more, despite what he had said last night.

Naruto was more than happy to see this. He didn't want the others to only interact when he was there. He wanted them to grow bonds with one another too. That way, they would truly be united.

The Uzumaki separated himself from the camp for a bit, though, as Kurama seemed eager and more prepared to start moving again. The fox led him to the nearby stream, where he began to gently stick his paws in the water. He seemed to hesitate for a few moments, looking at the water like it was going to attack him or something.

Naruto chuckled at the sight. "I guess you still have a lot of things to learn, huh?" Gundham had said that the fox was still young, so it only made sense. But it was just another thing that he and Naruto had in common, as Naruto still had a lot to learn about this new world.

"Well, it's _our_ world now," he muttered as he bent down next to Kurama who was beginning to feel more accustomed to the water. After tomorrow, Naruto was going to ask Gundham everything he would need to make Kurama feel more comfortable with the city life. He was fortunate enough to have someone like Gundham in his class who could help him with this sort of stuff. He had never taken care of a pet before, after all. But he was confident he would enjoy it as much as he enjoyed watering his plants back in the day.

"U-Uzumaki-san…..?"

The blond's musings stopped when Mikan came walking from the camp to stand next to him.

"Ah, Mikan. What's up? Did something happen?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, it's not that…...I-I just couldn't see you in the camp, so I….."

Would it be weird to say that she got worried?

"Yeah, sorry about that." Naruto looked sheepish as he pointed to Kurama who was now in the middle of having a stare off with a squirrel perched up high in one of the trees. "He wanted to explore the woods some more, so I came along with him."

Mikan looked at the fox. She was happy to see that he was making a full recovery. "Moving around like this…...is it really okay?"

Naruto shrugged. "He doesn't look in pain….."

He got the distinct feeling that the fox was just as stubborn as him when it came to standing still after getting hurt: they both hated it. Naruto was a creature that always liked to be on the move, always trying to experience new things. If Kurama was the same, then the two would get along just fine.

Mikan placed a hand over her heart. "H-He's probably going to have to be tested before you can bring him to school."

Naruto shrugged some more. That was no big deal. He knew he could run this by Gundham later too.

The two teens fell into a comfortable silence after that. Since they were out in the middle of the woods, the stars here were more visible than when in the city, something Naruto had noticed during his first night at Tengan's house.

Funny thing is…...the night sky here was just as beautiful as the one back in his dimension. It captivated Naruto all the same.

Mikan's gaze went to Naruto's face for a moment, and it was then that she saw just how beautiful and deep his eyes were. They were a very deep blue. It almost seemed like they were reflecting the beauty of the world around them, and she felt like she could be swallowed in them at any moment. But she didn't feel fear at that thought. It was probably because she knew that the person behind those eyes would never harm her either. It was a weird thought for her to have. But since arriving at Hope's Peak Academy, she had felt happier than any other time she could remember in her life. It was said that she was someone who was meant to fill the world with hope, but it was happening in reverse. The school was filling her with hope.

'No…...Naruto-san and the others…...'

Mikan had been truly frightened of coming to school here. She had done so to escape the past, but a part of her, a big part of her, felt that things would be the same way here. She was proven wrong time and time again.

"Peace….."

Naruto tore his eyes from the stars to look at Mikan who was fidgeting, as having Naruto's intense gaze on her was more than enough to make her nervous.

"W-What you said last night…..do you really think that's possible?"

Naruto grinned a little and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm still an outsider to this world, but I've never been one to hesitate with my actions. Many people have told me I'm foolish because of it, but I don't think there's any point in remaining indecisive."

He still failed from time to time, though.

"Something like that is foreign to me," Mikan admitted softly. "I-I'm always wondering if I'm doing the right thing, or if I'm messing up, or if-"

"Like I said, don't sweat it." Naruto placed his hand over her head again, causing Mikan's heart to be filled with all those warm feelings from before. "No one here wants you to tiptoe around us. Just be yourself. The others will appreciate it too."

Be herself…...it was the one thing Mikan could never do. She was always aiming to please others, not herself. Because…...she didn't want to be alone. But here, with her class…...or rather, her new family…...

Could it be done?

'A place to call home…..'

Something as special as that, something she could never have before...could this be it?

The two settled back into a comfortable silence as they gazed up at the stars again, both of their hearts filled with hope for the future.

Little by little, the bonds among them were strengthening.

* * *

 **To be honest, I don't really have anything to say this time.**

 **Uh…..review?**

 **Thanks, and till next time.**


	10. A New Ninja

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:  
A New Ninja**

Working at a ramen shop was a lot more fun than Naruto would have guessed. He was always surrounded by what he loved, with people who liked to eat ramen. Not as much as him, but still. He could also give his recommendations on which ramen was best and so on without coming off as annoying, because apparently the greatness of ramen transcended dimensions. All the different kinds of ramen in his world was present in this one too.

What a marvelous discovery this was.

So even though he had to work extra hours to make up for the time he had taken off for the camping trip, Naruto was not complaining. Not one bit. It also helped that Sonia was with him too. The princess had enjoyed working here so much during that one afternoon that she asked the old man if she could work for free. The old man had no reason to turn her down, as the "cute waitress" of the shop attracted more business than usual, even though Sonia didn't do anything special. Her uniform was by no means "sexy," but it still made every male customer, and some female, blush at the sight of her.

It must be one of her passive abilities as the **Ultimate Princess** or something.

It was Saturday afternoon now, making it one of the shop's slower working hours. For some reason, not many people wanted ramen at this hour. It made Naruto a little sad if he was being honest, but oh well. Nothing he could do about it. Mahiru and Hiyoko had chosen to stop by at this time, much to Naruto's surprise. The two had ordered some drinks, but no ramen as neither girl enjoyed the food all that much. It was one of the few Japanese foods Hiyoko wasn't particularly fond of. Too bloated for her tastes.

Naruto felt sorry for the two girls. Not being able to enjoy the one meal worthy of a god was truly a sad thing indeed.

"That uniform fits you well." As usual, Hiyoko was her teasing and smug self. "You pull off the 'working man' look pretty good. Maybe you should work here for the rest of your life."

The blonde and Mahiru had chosen to take seats by the counter, where Naruto was stationed. Only a few other customers were in the shop, all served and enjoying their meals.

Naruto didn't look fazed. "I know you're trying to mess with me, Hiyoko, but I'm totally considering that as my backup plan right now."

Hiyoko pouted. "Sheesh, it's no fun if you actually like it." She then looked away. "Well, if you're okay with it, then I guess that's fine."

Always with the insults and then the compliments. As Teruteru put it, Hiyoko was the real life tsundere of their group. Naruto had no idea what that meant, but he just chalked it off as Teruteru being Teruteru.

"But you do look great." Mahiru was more straightforward with her compliment, and her bright smile was more than enough to make Naruto blush a little. "When you said you were working at a ramen shop, I didn't believe it at first. Glad to see that I was wrong."

Naruto just didn't have the maturity to hold on to a job like this, is what she had been thinking. But case and point, she was wrong. Not that Mahiru was complaining. She was happy to see her new blond friend be outgoing enough to get a job. It made him more responsible in her eyes.

"Yeah, well, I have some debts that I need to repay." The computer he had broken was just the start. "And it also seemed like a good way to make some pocket change when I need it."

Relying on someone else for everything was just not Naruto's style. Not only that, but Naruto was also considering what gear he would need for the future. What he had now just wasn't going to cut it. Put simply, he needed something to deal with one of the biggest obstacles in this world: guns. He was confident in his speed and reaction time, but he wanted to have more assurance than that. Like…...armor or something along those lines. Just something that could block those pesky bullets. But knowing how much it'd cost…...

"Naruto, Naruto! Look here!" Sonia's excited face peeked out from the small window leading to the kitchen. "I was able to make some ramen all by myself! Isao-sama taught me! The noddles were specially hard, but it was so much fun!"

Isao Jiro, the "old man" as Naruto put it, came grumbling out of the door leading to the kitchen. "Calm down, girlie. You only learned the basics. No need to get so excited."

"But I cannot help it!" Sonia flexed her arm, her enthusiasm radiating off her like waves. "I was never allowed to cook back home, so this is a rather exciting experience for me! My heart is beating with anticipation to learn more!"

Jiro kept grumbling as he made for the bathrooms. Who knew being around an **Ultimate** could be so exhausting? "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Watch the shop for now, brat. I gotta take a few minutes off."

Naruto chuckled as he watched him go. "Looks like Sonia's excitement has worn him down, huh."

"Oh." Sonia looked down. "I hope I am not being a burden."

"Don't worry about it, Sonia. His age is just getting to him."

"Talking about your boss like that." Mahiru sighed in disappointment. "You lack tact, Naruto-san."

"Psst, I'm just being honest."

Mahiru could only sigh again but dropped the subject. Trying to teach Naruto manners was an impossibility, as she was quickly beginning to learn.

"Anyway, who cares about all that!" Hiyoko looked like a child being denied her candy. "You still have to tell us about that dumb test of yours, Big Bro."

Ah. That.

"I agree as well." Sonia came to join them. Her apron was filled with stains, from her ramen noodle-making attempts no doubt. But she still looked as graceful as ever. "You have yet to give us any details about that."

The test they were referring to…...it was something Tengan had sprung on him after he had returned home from the camping trip. Apparently, the ones at the top at Hope's Peak Academy wanted to perform a test of his abilities, among other things. It was happening because they wanted to see his skills firsthand. Naruto had a feeling there was more to it than just that, but it was all Tengan had told him. Naruto had then passed on the news to the others via their group chat on their phones. It had been decided that they would use the group chat to pass on important messages among their class in the event that they weren't able to talk about it in person.

Nekomaru was still the one keeping Akane in the loop since the girl didn't have a phone yet.

"I still don't know anything else about it. So I can't explain it any better to you guys."

Mahiru sighed. "It's just strange. Why would the school ask you to take part in a test? The practical exam is still months away!"

Naruto shrugged. "Well, the school still hasn't seen my skills firsthand. So they probably just want to see for themselves that I'm worthy of the title they've given me."

Sounded reasonable, but again, Naruto suspected there was more going on.

Mahiru still bought the answer. She already knew how much the school valued talent.

"Hey, hey." Hiyoko tilted her head in curiosity. "That reminds me. Just how did you get your title anyway? Ninjas are like practically nonexistent these days!"

"I must admit, I'm rather curious about that as well." Sonia looked thoughtful. "You spoke about your village before. Are they all ninjas too?"

Questions like these were the ones Naruto had wanted to avoid, but he still had prepared answers in advance if it came up.

"Not exactly. Only a select few are able to become one…...and I was the best one there." No reason he couldn't spice the truth a little. "As for your question, Hiyoko, well…..." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I sort of ended up sneaking into the Tokyo National Museum…..."

Mahiru gasped. "What the…...!? You actually did that!? How could you be so irresponsible!"

Oh, boy. The mother hen was getting mad.

"Hey now, in my defense, I had no idea what that place was at the time," Naruto quickly explained himself. "And I didn't steal or break anything either!"

Other than that one window he used to escape the guards…...but telling Mahiru that would just be a one-way ticket to more scolding. And Naruto wasn't in the mood to set the girl off anymore than he already had.

"Wooooooow." Hiyoko was more amused by this piece of information. "To think that you're a criminal, Big Bro. Maybe it was wrong of me to trust you so much!"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in slight exasperation. "Just drink your juice dammit."

Hiyoko simply smirked but did as told.

"Does that mean you're going to miss classes on Monday?" Sonia wondered with a light frown.

"No idea." Naruto didn't know how long the test would last. Not just that, but apparently Nagito wanted to show him something on Monday too. It had something to do with his weapons supposedly. Naruto had no idea what the lucky boy was thinking, but he had already promised to meet up with him.

And then there was also Kurama to worry about.

'I hope Gundham is able to take care of everything…...'

After their camping trip, Gundham had taken Kurama with him in order to make sure that the young fox was school-ready just like his Four Dark Devas. It had only been a day since they'd parted, and they would definitely be meeting again. But Naruto missed the red fox already. He had already become good friends with him, so being apart like this was a bit annoying.

Not that it could be helped.

"It sounds like it's going to be hectic day at school for you," Mahiru hummed.

Naruto didn't really mind it all that much. "I mean, I think it's better than watching that teacher of ours snore all day."

Mahiru frowned at this. "While I don't disagree with you, you still have to come. Understand? You already promised us that you would."

Sonia giggled. "Yes, and you don't break your promises, right?"

Naruto had to grumble a bit. "I get the feeling I never should have told you guys that…..."

They were probably always going to use his promises against him when they wanted something. They were devious like that.

"Pfft, you worry over nothing." The way Hiyoko was smiling, though, Naruto realized that he was probably right on the mark with his assumption.

Girls were truly devious when they wanted to be.

* * *

Naruto stifled a yawn as he followed Nagito through the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. It was Monday, which marked this their first day back in the school after their fun three-day camping trip. The halls were pretty empty at this point, though, since the two boys had arrived pretty early. Classes wouldn't start for another hour or so, not that Naruto was going to be there this morning.

"You mind telling me what the big surprise is all about? You've been rather skittish about it all weekend."

"Oh, was I? I apologize for that." At least sound sincere dammit. "I just can't help but feel proud of myself right now, Uzumaki-kun. To think that someone as lowly as me can help you hone in your talent further…...it fills me with hope, you know?"

Naruto's shoulders sagged a little at his words. "It's far too early in the morning for me to try and understand you, Nagito."

"Ah. I apologize for that as well."

Sure you did.

The two eventually arrived in a classroom on the fourth floor. Although it looked more like a lab than anything else. Inside, there were three people arguing about something. Two of them were girls, and the other was a guy.

The first girl was short with purple eyes and a sickly complexion. She had pale gray hair with a respirator mask covering her mouth. She wore the Hope's Peak Academy uniform, with a purple vest and a brown belt, and long black stockings. She also had a pair of purple gloves.

The second girl had lilac eyes, short strawberry blonde hair, and a petite, cheerful appearance. She too wore the standard Hope's Peak Academy uniform with fur trimming. She wore white thigh high socks and pink boots with multiple straps, a pink hat, and a green ribbon with strawberries on the ends.

The third and only male of the trio had a tall, lean build, pale blond hair, sharp brown eyes, pale skin, and a very serious expression. He wore the Hope's Peak Uniform with a red trench coat over it. He seemed to be munching on something too.

"Hm? Is this the chemistry lab?" Naruto scratched the back of his head as he and Nagito practically waltz in unannounced. "What is chemistry again…...?"

Nagito chuckled. "Don't worry about that for now, Uzumaki-kun. Just look. The person I wanted you to meet is right here. How lucky of us."

"Huh…..."

In truth, Nagito didn't know any of the three students in the lab. He had just heard about them in the past. It was his duty to know about any and all **Ultimates** in the school. He then just pulled some strings to figure out where they usually hung out. It was no big deal really, not when luck was on your side.

Naruto was more curious about the conversation taking place between the other three students.

"-so come on, stop being so boring and come hang out with us~" the girl with the pink hat said.

"But….I…..I have a lot of stuff that I need to do." Maybe it was Naruto's imagination, but he was certain that the hair of the girl with the mask moved like a squid's tentacles.

'…...there's no one normal at this school, is there?'

Except for maybe Mahiru. And even then that was debatable for him now.

"Awww, come on! Don't be like that. We just started our second year here. The least you can do is have some fun~"

"I have many requests that I need to get done, you see. So I…...I don't have time. I'm very sorry…..."

From these two exchanges alone, Naruto got the impression that the gray-haired girl was just as shy as Mikan was.

Nagito, still with his friendly expression, started to speak. "Sorry to interrupt, but we-"

He stopped when he noticed that there was a dagger pointed right at his neck. No, it wasn't just a dagger. It was a…...kunai?

'Ah…...'

Nagito was certainly startled a bit by having a weapon suddenly aimed at him, but he was more excited to see that his hopes had been proven true. This was the right place.

"Who are you?" the tall boy said, his voice low and dangerous. He had been temporarily distracted by the snack he had been given, but that hadn't stopped him from taking notice of Nagito and Naruto right away.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Naruto was, without warning, standing behind the admittedly taller boy with his own kunai placed next to his neck. The whiskered blond had made sure to always carry one with him in his uniform, knowing that anything could happen. It paid to be prepared than to not be.

To say that the boy in the trench coat was speechless was an understatement. No one had ever gotten the drop on him like this before. He had trained long and hard to make certain that remained true. But this guy had done it, he'd gotten past his defenses. And he made it look so easy too.

The girl with the pink hat looked just as surprised as he did. Her surprise was obvious. He was meant to be her bodyguard, but if he couldn't protect her…...

"U-Um!" The gray-haired girl seemed to be having a panic talk at the sight in front of her. It was almost like her lab was about to become a battlefield, something she couldn't let happen. Not when so many of her precious projects were in here!

The girl with the hat snapped her fingers. "That's enough, Yoi-chan."

She could already see…...this new guy meant business.

"Yoi-chan" did as told and lowered his weapon from Nagito's neck. Naruto eyed him for a moment before doing the same, letting "Yoi-chan" step back to stand next to the girl with the pink hat again.

Nagito smiled. "How exhilarating! I actually thought I was a goner for a second there! Thank you for saving me, Uzumaki-kun. I'm lucky to have you with me."

Naruto was too busy glaring at the taller blond to make sense of Nagito's rambling.

"Oi, who the hell pulls out weapons on a fellow classmate? Are you daft?"

A fancy word, this "daft." Naruto mentally patted himself in the back for remembering it. Reading books was frustrating, but a word or two have managed to stick to his mind because of it. So it was worth it…...?

The girl with the pink hat crossed her arms and huffed. "Don't talk to us like that. You're the ones who barged in here."

"You don't own this place!"

"This is Seiko-chan's private lab! She owns this place! H'mph!"

"Seiko-chan" wanted to speak up and say that it technically wasn't hers, but she knew that there was no talking her best friend out of this.

"It doesn't mean you can just attack us whenever you want!" Naruto was already frustrated with this girl, and the way the guy was staring at him was making him testy too. Maybe just one punch and-

"I think we've gotten on the wrong foot here," Nagito said as he joined the conversation. "We're only here for a request. For Izayoi Sonosuke-kun."

Izayoi frowned somewhat. "Me?"

It's true that he had a store set up in the school for people who wanted him to forge weapons for them. As the **Ultimate Blacksmith** , it was only natural that people would seek his creations. They were top notch, and he was paid well. It was a win-win. It was the only kind of requests he ever got too.

Nagito confirmed his thoughts when he began to explain, "Yes. As the **Ultimate Blacksmith** , I know that your weapons will be suitable enough for Uzumaki-kun here."

"Huh?" The girl with the pink hat scoffed. "What are you saying? After the way you talked to us, there's no way Yoi-chan will ever work with you guys!"

Contrary to her words, Izayoi looked curious. "Weapons? You mean you actually…...use them?"

Naruto twirled his kunai to prove his point. "Yeah. I've been using weapons like this for a while now. But I'm limited in my supplies…..."

Now he understood why Nagito wanted him to come here. This guy was the **Ultimate Blacksmith** , and from the looks of things he used weapons similar to his. This guy was the perfect person to ask about his supply problem.

"That's surprising," Izayoi said. "Most of my requests are for people who only want my weapons as decorations. Other than me, I have never seen someone else use them."

Naruto took a glance at Izayoi's kunai, and he saw how…...elaborate it was. It definitely outclassed Naruto's in the looks department. But in the end, looks wasn't what interested Naruto. He just wanted kunai and shuriken that could work.

Izayoi crossed his arms and said, "I wouldn't mind accepting your request…..if you let me study your kunai."

Naruto frowned. "What? Why?"

"It seems to be of good quality. I'm interested in the work of a fellow blacksmith. We'll call it even after that."

Naruto was torn. He didn't know if he could trust this guy, and losing one of the few kunai he had wasn't something he wanted to do. On the other hand, he didn't have any money on him. At least, nowhere near enough to what this guy would most likely charge him. If giving up one kunai meant that he could a whole other set…...

Naruto sighed. "Fine." Not like he had any better options here.

Nagito was pleased to see this. "I'm glad. It's only when working together that your talents will shine even further. I'm sure of it."

Izayoi ignored Nagito. As did the girl next to him who was simply staring hard at Naruto.

"You. What's your name and your title?"

"Huh? Oh…...uh, it's Uzumaki Naruto. I'm the **Ultimate Ninja** …..."

" **Ultimate Ninja**?" the girl scrunched up her nose while Izayoi gained a look of understanding. "How did you ever get that title?"

"It's a long story, and I don't feel like talking to you."

"Wa-!" She looked flabbergasted. "How dare you! I'm Ando Ruruka, a second-year! I'm the **Ultimate Confectioner**! Since I've never seen you before, I'm guessing you're one of the new first-years. That makes me your senior."

"Oh." Naruto shrugged. Was all that supposed to mean something to him? That sort of mentality, where respect was instantly given just based on title or rank, it had never applied to him. Maybe it was because of his upbringing. "That's cool for you, I guess."

Ruruka fumed.

He honestly had no interest in the girl. It stemmed from her attitude earlier. She seemed to have that "mightier than thou" thing going on, and he didn't have the patience to deal with someone like that this early in the morning.

"Hmm, you're being awfully dismissive, Uzumaki-kun," Nagito noted. This came as a surprise to him, as Naruto had always been friendly toward everyone else in their class, including him of all people. So for him to be this cold to someone…...

"Yeah, yeah." Yawning this time, Naruto focused back on Izayoi, "Do you want to trade numbers?" That seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch in his mind.

Izayoi nodded, albeit slowly. A part of him wasn't liking the way Naruto was talking back to Ruruka, but she hadn't given him the signal to intimidate the blond or anything. That's why he was still rooted where he stood, watching with confusion.

As for the last girl, she watched the exchange in silence. As usual, she was a background character, but she had grown used to this long ago. Still, an introduction would be nice.

She was Kimura Seiko, and she was the **Ultimate Pharmacist** …...yes, that sounded nice to her.

Seiko felt her heart stop a moment when Naruto spared her a glance. Would he think she was weird too? Just about everyone else did…...only Ruruka and Izayoi ever tried to hang out with her, and with Izayoi it was more because Ruruka was around that he gave her any attention.

In that one moment, though, Seiko didn't see disgust, confusion, or even annoyance. More like a passing curiosity.

That was better than nothing she supposed.

* * *

Naruto did his best to get Ruruka out of his mind as he entered one of the other buildings in the school campus. He had no idea what it was called, or what purpose it served to the school. It was only through Tengan's instruction that he was here now.

He was feeling a lot better now that one of his problems had been solved. With Izayoi, he could buy as many weapons as he needed in the future. It would take a while, but the blond was confident he could built enough funds in time.

Hopefully.

He would make a more concrete plan later, but for now the upcoming test is what was important.

The blond was allowed inside by a couple of guards. Inside the building, Naruto found several locked rooms with one big chamber in the middle. It was sort of like the gym, but there was no stage and a lot of equipment was scattered about. There were weights, swords, shields, handguns, and other assortment of weapons. There were also several barricades spread out here and there. Naruto noticed an observation room on a level above him, but the windows were too tinted for him to make out anything.

Really, this was more like a training room than anything else.

In the chamber with him was a young woman in a lab coat and a clipboard in hand. She had long dark hair, and her face was stern. Naruto got the impression that she was one of those "no nonsense" people, i.e. the kind he liked the least.

Dammit.

"Welcome, Uzumaki-san," she greeted him. As expected, her voice was monotonous as she got straight to the point. "I assume you know why you are here today?"

"Yeah, something about a test, right?" Naruto glanced around the room, noticing all the equipment. "Am I suppose to use these for something?"

"That's up to you."

"Hm?"

"Right now, we will be testing your speed, strength, reaction time, concealment, and anything else you might want to show us."

Naruto wasn't all that surprised by this. They wanted all the info they could on his abilities. And he was betting that there were a lot more people behind that tainted window too.

He started to do light stretches.

"So let's get get started then. Throw everything you got at me."

Training in the morning was always nice, after all.

* * *

"So Uzumaki ain't here again-"

"We already know." Fuyuhiko closed his eyes as he cut off Koichi before he could finish. "He's doing some stupid test, right?"

The man's eyebrow twitched a little. The others were in class already, as they had all promised to show up. This meant that Koichi couldn't take it easy like he had been doing. There was something else that caught his attention, though.

"How do you guys know about that…...?"

"Huh? Because Uzumaki told us. Wasn't that obvious?" Fuyuhiko's sarcasm was evident to everyone in the room, just like the yakuza intended.

Koichi scratched his head. He eyed his class with a wary look. "You guys…...you ditch me on our first week of class, which only made me look bad in front of the headmaster. I did get three days off from work, though, which I can appreciate. But now you're telling me that you're all getting along?"

What the hell was this?

Mahiru frowned. "If only _someone_ had decided to take his job seriously last week, then we never would have left on our own."

Secretly, she was happy he hadn't, though. The trip had been a lot of fun for her, and she knew the others felt the same way.

"There's no need to get mad, Mahiru-chan-"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!?"

"Hahaha. Right, right. My bad."

Peko sighed. This was going nowhere.

"Kizakura-sensei, there is nothing to worry about. We already know about Naruto-san's absence, so we can proceed with no problems."

Koichi wasn't sure. Technically, the board had wanted to keep the test on the down low, but if the blond had decided to share the information with the others, then there was nothing he could do. Jin couldn't get mad at him over this, right?

Better not think about it.

"Well, I suppose there's a lot to do…" Koichi hated saying that. "Since you guys missed a whole week of class, we're going to have to play catch up."

Fuyuhiko scoffed. "Be honest. Were you going to actually act like a teacher?"

"Now, now. While I may have played things easy, it does not mean I had _nothing_ planned…..."

In truth, that was exactly the case. Koichi's plan had been to push things off as much as possible and hope his beautiful students all took off to mind their own business. That way, there was no commotion, and he was sure to not get reprimanded. However, he hadn't accounted for his whole class to suddenly take a field trip without his authorization. That didn't look good on the school, or on him. Because of it, Jin was observing him more closely now. Which mean't he couldn't slack off anymore.

Goddammit.

"Your tone does not fill me with confidence," Sonia admitted.

"I totally agree with Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi shouted from the back.

"It's totally obvious that you were going to ditch us," Ibuki said while nodding.

Koichi grumbled. "Shut up, all of you. Whether you like it or not, we're going to have regular class now."

He still thought it was a waste of time. None of these kids needed regular class. Their futures were already set. But with them here, Koichi's hands were tied in the matter.

"Huh?" Akane slumped down on her desk. "That doesn't sound very fun."

"Shut up." Hiyoko glared at her. "You already promised Big Bro you would stay, so that means you're staying. You got that!?"

Ibuki whistled. "My, my. Hiyoko-chan is taking Naruto-chan's words very seriously. It's so cute."

"Y-You shut up too!" Hiyoko could feel her cheeks go red. Not that it proved Ibuki right or anything! She wasn't doing this because she made a promise to Naruto. Nope. She was only here because she wanted to be. That's it.

And because Mahiru was here too.

"There's no need to deny it~" Teruteru chuckled. "We can already see the young maiden in you blossoming! Ooooohhh, it fills me with so much passion…...!"

"I-I do think it's cute," Mikan said shyly from her seat.

"S-Stop ganging up on me!" Hiyoko wanted to hide in her desk or something.

"Hahahaha, there is so much hope here," Nagito said with his trademark smile.

"I don't wanna hear that from you," Kazuichi said under his breath.

Koichi could feel a migraine coming. So their motivation to be here was all because of Naruto, huh? And some promise they made with one another.

'Blondie is making my job harder than it needs to be…...'

If he could, he would be crying on the floor right now. Such was life.

* * *

For the second time in a week, Naruto found himself holding a sword to defend himself. After he had first arrived to this world, he was sure that things would be more simple, more mundane, and that he wouldn't have to fight all that much.

His luck just wouldn't let that happen apparently.

But anyway, to important stuff. Like the test, which he was passing with flying colors. Dodging bullets, traps, and even armed men. Nothing he couldn't handle. That's not to say that he wasn't being pressed. Far from it. The mounted turrets that had sprung from the ceiling were specially problematic. It's why he was taking cover behind one of the barricades right now.

'Stupid guns…...whoever invented these things sucks!'

It was bad enough that he wasn't confident enough to grab one of these guns for combat. Naruto preferred to use weapons he was more familiar with, hence the sword. But even then, that wasn't saying much. He wasn't Sasuke, or Zabuza, or that shark guy from the Akatsuki. His battle skills had always been more geared toward ninjutsu. He had none of it left, though.

It all led back to the major dilemma he was having right now. Essentially, he was gonna have to branch out his other skill sets if he wanted to stay on top in this world.

'Maybe asking Peko-chan for some lessons wouldn't be the worst thing in the world…...'

He was already working with Nekomaru. No reason not to turn to another friend for help. And if he could meet someone proficient with guns, that would be helpful too.

"GOT YOU!"

Somewhere in the middle of his mental ramblings, the turrets had stopped firing. This allowed one of the remaining armed men to charge at him with his baton. The uniform he was wearing wasn't recognizable to Naruto, but that didn't really surprise him.

Reacting on instinct, Naruto raised his sword to block the baton. Having faced Peko and Akane already, the level of speed possessed by these guys wasn't nearly enough to faze him.

He made short work of his attacker, knocking him out with a blow to his gut.

Now for those damned turrets, which began to fire on his position again. There was only one option really.

'I'm going to do something very stupid right now…...'

But when has that ever stopped him?

Naruto dashed out of the safety of his position and made a run for the guns that were still on display for him to use. The turrets shifted their aim toward his path, hoping to cut him down. Without really thinking about it, Naruto raised his sword in defense, managing to surprise himself when he was able to deflect some of the bullets. But that sense of accomplishment was cut short when another bullet managed to graze his cheek, more than enough to draw blood too.

As Naruto finally got his hands on one of the handguns, he realized something very crucial: Hope's Peak Academy was willing to go to extremes for their research of talent.

He began to open fire on the turrets.

* * *

The fervor in the observation room was at an all time high as the researches and trustees alike watched Naruto practically decimate all the tests they had prepared for him. He had even made short work of a whole security squad that served Hope's Peak Academy. And the school only handpicked the best for their positions. They also took great care to note his adaptability with his usage of guns against the turrets.

The tests had revealed more than they had expected, and they were very pleased with the results.

Jin and Tengan were in the mix too, although the two men were not as surprised by Naruto's showings. Jin was still taken back by Naruto's ability to use a wide variety of weapons, though.

"The boy can adapt to his surroundings pretty well…..."

Tengan rubbed his beard in thought. "Yes, that is true. But he has more skill than I had originally imagined. His speed is a lot better than any other current student in the school. And his physical prowess…..."

It was almost like Naruto's body had been trained on a whole other level than what was normally seen. Even by **Ultimate** standards, that was saying something.

'I don't even think Sakakura-kun would be able to defeat him…'

Jin looked at the researches taking down notes. "This is only going to give them more data for that project, isn't it."

A sour thought, as he was still personally against it.

Tengan sighed. "Yes. But there's nothing we can do about that I'm afraid. The board has already spoken."

That was the sad reality of Hope's Peak Academy right now.

It was then that the lead researcher made his way over to them, his glasses shining in the darkness somehow.

"It seems we have stumbled upon a true jewel this time. We made the right call in bringing him here."

Tengan and Jin kept quiet. They both didn't like this man. It was almost as if he derived personal pleasure from all of these tests. And not in the normal way either.

"We would like to take some blood samples for analysis," he continued. "But the boy would probably feel more comfortable if one of you two was present during that time. It's been decided that he's more than worthy to keep his title and continue here at Hope's Peak. Keeping such a talented individual close will benefit us greatly for the future. We can only imagine how much more he will grow from here on out."

Tengan clasped his hands behind his back. "Am I to assume that he can have whatever equipment he desires?"

In the past, there had been some reservations about the type of "gadgets" students were allowed to be given, especially those with a combat-related talent. It came down to the laws passed by Japan that prohibited these practices, which the school was forced to contend with.

Nowadays, these problems were almost non-existent as Hope's Peak Academy had the ability to do just about anything they wanted. But Tengan wanted to be sure.

"Undoubtedly." The lead researcher didn't hesitate with his answer. In this school, talent was rewarded with only the best. It was all in the name of progress and hope. "If it helps the boy grow faster, he can have anything he wants."

"I'm glad to hear that." Tengan allowed himself to smile a bit.

The lead researcher turned back to his other colleagues. "If you will excuse me then."

After he had left, Jin asked, "What are you thinking, Tengan-san?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just saw several notes the boy created over the weekend. I had thought they would be a little extreme, even for us, but it seems I had nothing to worry about."

Jin didn't like the sound of that. "This isn't going to cause more explosions in my school, is it?"

Paying for repairs on a daily basis was not a fun thing to do. And with a school who only admitted students with crazy abilities, there was always something that needed to be fixed.

Tengan chuckled in amusement.

"Who can say?"

Jin paled at the answer.

Oh boy.

* * *

"So you guys actually had normal classes for a change?"

The disbelief in Naruto's voice was obvious, but none of his friends could blame him for it.

"Believe me, it surprised us too," Fuyuhiko said. "But it seems like Kizakura can be motivated too, if his ass is on the line."

Mahiru sighed. "Kuzuryu, language please."

The yakuza ignored her.

Naruto took a bite of his meal. "Fascinating."

He and the others had finally been able to rendezvous for lunch. After the initial tests he had been made to participate in were over, the Uzumaki then had to deal with a blood test being thrown his way. Seriously, if there was one thing that could still scare him, it was needles. A fear he didn't try to hide. It was only because Tengan had been in the room with him that Naruto had finally relented and allowed for the dumb lady to take a sample of his blood. A part of him was not pleased with having his blood examined, but he also knew that he couldn't say no. Not in his current position.

By the time everything was over, it was already lunchtime. So they decided to get together for lunch. They were having a picnic outside, prepared by their resident cook. It wasn't ramen, but Naruto was still content with the flavor.

On a side note, Mikan had a near full on panic attack when she noticed the injury on Naruto's cheek. Naruto had done his best to reassure the girl that it wasn't anything serious, but he knew he was probably going to have to visit the nurse's office later for her to believe him that he really was okay.

The others had all found the scene very amusing, with Kazuichi complaining about "blond bastards with hot nurses to look after them."

Naruto still didn't know what the mechanic was talking about.

Akane was on her fifth serving when she said, "So what did they make you do?"

That's what she wanted to say anyway, but with her mouth full, it all came out as gibberish.

Mahiru's eyebrow twitched at the sight. "Seriously? Does no one here have manners anymore?"

Kazuichi shrugged. "If you ask me, you're probably going to go insane before you manage to change them."

Mahiru already knew this. It was the same with Naruto and his nonchalant way of speaking. But still! She needed to at least _try_ to be the voice of reason in this group.

Nagito chuckled and translated, "I believe Owari-san wants to know how your test went, Uzumaki-kun."

The lucky boy was curious himself. He wanted to know as much as possible about the person he was quickly starting to respect the most.

"Hmm, it was nothing special." Naruto took another bite from his plate. "They just wanted to see if I could defend myself. I passed of course. No one can take me down."

"Ha, as confident as ever," Nekomaru said with a large grin.

"You know it!" Naruto then sighed. "However, I was forced to see something that I had already begun to suspect. That I still need to improve."

"What?" Fuyuhiko scoffed. " _You're_ saying that? You were able to defeat Owari and stand evenly with Pekoyama. You still think you're not strong enough?"

"Spars are different from real fights," Naruto pointed out. "I'm sure Peko-chan wasn't trying to kill me when we sparred. I'm sure there's another side to her that I have yet to face off against."

Peko shifted uncomfortably from where she sat. It's true that she had killed before, but she didn't think Naruto would pick up on that.

'He still manages to catch me off guard…...'

It was a bit unnerving. Peko regarded Naruto as a happy go-lucky-boy, but there were many times that image didn't quite fit him. Like his ability to read other people. It took a considerate amount of skills to do something like that, and he did it like it was no big deal.

Just bizarre.

"And with Akane, it's more like we specialize in the same thing," Naruto added as he thought back to his fight with the gymnast. "If you want to categorize me as I am now, I'm a short range fighter, with a specialty for hand-to-hand combat and some expertise in weapons. The reason I was able to beat her so easily is because she lacks a style of her own and just jumps into fights without giving much thought to her actions." Akane looked bummed out by his description of her. She still needed to prove that she was better than that, that she wasn't just instincts with no true skills. "I can make do with my speed and reflexes just fine, but I want to have more assurance than that. This world is a big place. You have to be prepared for anything."

The others could all see where he was coming from, and agreed that he wasn't totally wrong with his fears.

Nagito had to grin. "That's just amazing, Uzumaki-kun! You're not satisfied with the level you have achieved, so you move to pursue greater heights! That's exactly how a symbol of hope should be!"

Once again, the others all felt uncomfortable by Nagito's words. Only Naruto sighed in slight dismay and half-jokingly responded.

"I know I keep saying this, but one of these days, we're gonna make you talk better, Nagito."

Nagito just blinked in confusion, not understanding what his friend meant by that. He spoke from the heart, and nothing more.

Naruto's eyes traveled to Peko. "With all that said, that's why I need your help, Peko-chan."

The swordswoman raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I want you to teach me the ways of the sword."

With no ninjutsu available to him, Naruto was more than ready to advance his other skills.

Peko was sort of shocked by the request. "Are you sure about this? I've never once taught anyone else before…..."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You're the best sword master I know. And I trust you."

He was already going to work close with Nekomaru with developing a new fighting style for himself. And he was already well-versed in using kunai and shuriken, so it should be fairly easy for him to get used to the kunai set Izayoi was preparing for him. But a sword…...that was entirely different. That's why he needed Peko's help.

Peko's eyes widened at Naruto's words. _I trust you_. Those words…...no one had been so forthcoming with her, not like this. Once again, Naruto totally surprised her.

Fuyuhiko for his part smirked. "That's a great way to butter her up."

"Hey, I'm just being honest here," Naruto defended himself.

Hiyoko snickered. " _Too_ honest if you ask me. What if four eyes gets the wrong idea and starts falling for you, huh? What then?"

Fuyuhiko, Mikan, and Peko all froze at her words. They looked pale beyond belief.

Naruto threw some rice at Hiyoko. "Stop trying to antagonize people, sheesh."

Hiyoko merely stuck her tongue out at him. This was revenge for Saturday.

Teruteru jumped in here. "Wasting food like that is not allowed here, Uzumaki-kun!"

Right, right.

Pulling herself back together, Peko said, "I would be honored to start training you, Naruto-san."

The Uzumaki smiled widely. "Great! You can join Nekomaru and me this afternoon. We're meeting up at the gym."

"Hold it!" Akane glared at the two boys when she heard this. "No one told me about this!"

Naruto and Nekomaru traded nervous glances. They had wanted to keep this between the two of them, since Naruto wanted to find his new style right away, but that was no longer happening it seemed.

"If there's going to be a three-way, I'm so joining in!" Akane declared.

"It's not like that, ugh…...whatever, you can come if you want." Naruto went back to his food, silently pouting. Akane was all about the fights, but he needed to train right now. Saying no to her was impossible, though.

Mikan rubbed his back in condolence.

"It's just like a rare four-way battle you see in fighting games," Chiaki said while smiling. Whether it was from thought of the four of them fighting one another or just thinking about her games, no one knew.

"But, Naruto, what about work this afternoon?" Sonia asked, curious as to what her fellow blond was going to do about that.

"Oh, that? I already cleared my schedule with the old man. I have Mondays and Wednesdays off. Seems like he's not as busy during those days."

That might change with Sonia around, though.

"I see. That is…...unfortunate," the princess said, feeling down.

Naruto shrugged. "Hey, you can work today if you want. I don't think the old man would mind it."

That turned Sonia's mood around. "Do you really think so!?"

"Ah, yeah…..."

A person who actually wanted to work in the service industry for free…...Sonia was one of a kind for sure.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Kazuichi said. "What's this about Miss Sonia working!?"

"What, you didn't know?" Hiyoko placed a hand over her mouth, looking giddy. "Sonia has become a maid at the ramen shop Big Bro works at."

"A…...maid?" Picturing Sonia in a maid outfit was more than enough to overload Kazuichi's brain.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "She's not a maid. She's a waitress…..and part-time cook I guess."

But that was more of a work-in progress kind of deal.

"Cook?" Teruteru flashed a grin their way. "If you want to cook, you can always come to me for lessons. I'll make sure to take _good care_ of you. Hehehehe."

Fuyuhiko still couldn't help but shudder. "Again, phrasing."

"I know what I said, Kuzuryu-kun."

Well then.

The yakuza and Ibuki were practically the only ones still reacting to Teruteru's semi-jokes. The others were either used to his behavior, or didn't care.

"I'm gonna have to go and check this place out," Kazuichi swooned off to the side.

Naruto almost laughed. The old man would probably lose his shit if his shop became a hangout for **Ultimates**. As Naruto was quickly finding out, **Ultimates** really were regarded like celebrities here. Not only that, but there were so many people who wished they could be a part of Hope's Peak Academy but couldn't.

'I wonder what that says about me, who got in so easily…...'

Technically, he did have to commit a crime to be noticed, but…..bah, who cares.

"H'mph, the Dark Queen has chosen to immerse herself in the lives of the common-folk I see," Gundham commented. "How very…...surprising."

Naruto had to roll his eyes again. "If you want to go to the shop, then you're more than welcome to. The old man would love the business."

That's what he thought the breeder wanted anyway.

"D-Don't be so presumptions!" Gundham exclaimed, raising his head. "Why would I, the Overlord of Ice, be interested in such things?"

Sonia smiled. "I would be happy if you came, Tanaka-san."

Cue more blushing from the so-called "Overlord of Ice." Naruto was pretty amused, while Kazuichi glowed with jealousy.

Mahiru placed a finger on her cheek, looking thoughtful. "But that doesn't sound like a bad idea really. To have a place as our hangout spot when we need to."

Hiyoko cheered. "Yay, I agree!"

Naruto deadpanned. "You just want to see me work more, don't you?"

Mahiru did her best to look innocent, but Naruto knew he was right.

"As long as they have good food," Ryota said, not minding Mahiru's idea all that much. The more time he spend with the group, the more inclined he was to be around with them.

Sonia clapped in happiness. "Then it is decided! Since Naruto can't come today, I would be more than happy to show you guys around!"

It's official: the old man would be dying from a heart attack today. Naruto considered warning his boss about all the **Ultimates** that would be flocking to his shop, but he decided against it.

His reaction would be funnier this way.

The rest of their picnic was a more quiet but still fun affair.

Nagito simply sat back and smiled, feeling more than content with what he was seeing.

Hope was a beautiful thing indeed.

* * *

"By the way, Naruto-san, where is Kurama? I was sure Tanaka-san would have him back by now…..."

"Hm?" Examining the bamboo sword in his hand, Naruto glanced at Mikan who stood next to him in the gym. It was already after class, so the ninja, Peko, Nekomaru, and Akane had met up like they'd promised. Mikan and Fuyuhiko were also with them, the latter saying he had nothing better to do. But Naruto already knew it had something to do with Peko.

Mikan was here because she wanted to make sure none of them got hurt, and because she insisted she still needed to check on Naruto's wound from his earlier test.

The girl just worried too much in Naruto's opinion.

"I didn't tell you? Gundham said the little fox would be back tomorrow. Some of the shots he needed took longer than expected. That's all."

Mikan twiddled with her fingers and nodded. She had already grown to care a lot about Kurama, just like Naruto. She was relieved to hear he'd be back with them tomorrow. Since she and Naruto had saved him together, it was almost like the fox was their…...

She blushed at the thought and didn't dare finish it, knowing she would probably be too embarrassed to look at Naruto again if she did.

Fuyuhiko noticed her blush and smirked while Naruto walked off. "I wish you luck. The idiot is denser than a rock."

"R-Right…..." Mikan looked down but then flushed in embarrassment at her response. Fuyuhiko just laughed it off.

Naruto gave his sword a few test swings as Peko stood before him. Nekomaru was off to the side with Akane, the gymnast awaiting eagerly for what was to come.

"I didn't think we would be sparring again," Peko said and smiled softly. "But I must admit that I am glad you asked for my assistance."

She had really enjoyed herself the last time they had done this.

Naruto grinned. "What, you want to kick my ass this time?"

"Perhaps."

"Hahaha, you're funny, Peko-chan."

Peko merely shook her head, her smile still present.

Nekomaru crossed his arms and grinned as well. "She does have the spirit of a warrior, after all."

Peko glanced at him. "I can say the same to you, Nidai. You have proven yourself to be a great fighter. I am surprised that you are just a team manager."

Nekomaru frowned at her words. " _Just_ a team manager? It seems you underestimate the abilities of a team manager, Pekoyama."

The swordswoman quickly bowed. "My apologies. I did not mean-"

"Don't be so stiff, Peko-chan." Naruto scratched his head and sighed. "But she's got a point, Nekomaru. When I first heard you were a team manager, I was surprised. You have the body of a fighter. You'd probably do well in whatever sport you set your mind to. Heck, you'd probably excel at mastering a combat style of your own."

Nekomaru closed his eyes. "Heh, while I appreciate your faith in me, it's never something I've considered. Being a team manager was more than enough for me."

"You must have a reason for that…..."

"Hahaha, curious about me!?" Nekomaru let out a loud laugh. "I'm flattered that you've been thinking so much about me!"

Naruto and Peko looked at one another in slight amusement.

"It all comes down to what I've said before," Nekomaru explained. He felt more comfortable elaborating on his feelings to them. "There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the athletes you support reach their goals. And it all begins with a manager. Once you desire to become a master at something, it's natural that you'd rely on a manager. The bond that is forged between a manager and his athlete is not something that can be found anywhere else! It's the same way with the athletes I've watched over in the past. They were full of potential, who all managed to surpass me. And they were able to do this because they worked hard, and they gave it everything they had." His face took on a softer tone, one that the others had never seen on him before. It helped Naruto to understand something he had failed to see before.

Nekomaru truly loved being a team manager. And that was because of the bond that was forged with the people he took under his wing.

He could feel the same level of passion he had seen back with his teachers and master, where they helped the next generation of ninja become the best they could be. And eventually, they'd be surpassed, just as with Nekomaru.

'Although only Guy-sensei could match Nekomaru's enthusiasm…...'

It was a funny thought really.

Nekomaru opened his eyes and was surprised to see Naruto standing in front of him with his fist placed in between them.

Fuyuhiko remembered when the blond had done the same thing with him. Was this a symbolic gesture to him….?

"What's this?" Nekomaru was visibly confused.

Naruto grinned. "It's a fist bump. I'm sure it'll help us understand one another better in the future. I can guarantee it."

"Is that so?" Nekomaru matched Naruto's grin and did as requested.

While there was no chakra here, Naruto still believed that a same level of understanding could be reached between people. It would just require more work, and a lot more trust. It was a trust that was already starting to form around him and the others.

"I'm sorry for looking down on your profession before, even if I didn't mean to," Naruto said to him. "I didn't give it much thought when you first talked about it, but it's like you say. The bond between a team manager and his athlete is not something that can ever be replaced."

Just like a master with his student, like Jiraiya and him.

Nekomaru fell into another laughing fit. "Gahahahahaha! You truly have the right words needed to win me over! You might be the first person I'll do _it_ to since coming here!"

 _It_ ….?

"What the hell is that?" Fuyuhiko questioned, curious.

"I don't know…..." Mikan muttered, her eyes glued to Naruto and Nekomaru who were still fist-bumping. Her heart was beating faster and faster the more she gazed at the blond. It was like…...hope radiated off him, as tacky as that sounded. She wasn't like Nagito who seemed to be fixated on the word, but at that moment, it was like she was seeing hope come to life.

Even someone like Akane, who didn't normally care to pay attention to other people, was still mesmerized by the sight. But right now, the two boys were far too bright to be ignored.

Naruto and Nekomaru had truly reached another level of understanding with one another.

* * *

" _Well, my boy? Did you have fun today?"_

"When you talk like that, it's almost like you're my grandfather or something."

" _You want me to be your grandfather now? My, you flatter me, Naruto-kun."_

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose as he stepped inside his house. He had worked up a lot of sweat during his first training session with Peko, Nekomaru, and Akane. All three of them were very talented fighters, after all. But above all else, it had been fun, for all of them. After that, he had allowed Mikan to check him over to appease her. There had been something different about her while she did her checkup, but Naruto couldn't place his finger on it.

Now he just wanted to relax a bit.

"Did you only call me to remind me that you're not going to be home today?"

" _Of course not. Even I don't have that kind of free time. I just wanted to tell you about the surprise I prepared for you."_

Naruto paused. A surprise…..?

" _Think of it as a gift for the show you put on this morning. And don't worry. The school has no problem with you having this little gift of mine."_

"Talk normal."

" _Hahaha, just look for yourself. You can thank me later."_

The call was disconnected, making Naruto sigh. Just what did Tengan have for him this time?

'He did say it was a gift…...'

Curiosity drove him to head straight for his room, where he found a box sitting on his bed. With a furrowed brow, Naruto peered inside the box. There was a black trench coat, with a navy blue interior. That wasn't all either. A fully designed fox mask was also inside, similar to the ones the Anbu wore in his dimension. Additionally, there was a specially designed blade inside, along with a neatly packed roll of combat wire.

'All of this is…...'

Naruto had to laugh. That intrusive old man…..he'd been reading over Naruto's notes it seemed. Everything the blond had been looking for was right here.

'Then this trench coat…...'

The blond eagerly put it on while looking at himself in the mirror. It was a perfect fit. And if he was right, then this trench coat was bullet proof.

His path as the **Ultimate Ninja** was finally beginning.

* * *

 **Naruto vs. Mukuro…..now that would be an interesting fight to see. Someone asked me who I thought would win, and I honestly don't know. In the anime, it was shown that Mukuro and Peko were evenly matched in terms of speed and skill with a blade. I don't remember who won, or if it was just a tie in the end. But if you ask me, I think Mukuro is still stronger than Peko. After all, the only thing Mukuro had with her was a small combat knife, and she still managed to keep up with Peko. But if Mukuro had her full equipment like when she was in Fenrir, I'm sure she could have defeated Peko. That's why I don't know who would win between her and Naruto. I guess it would have to depend on the circumstances, and what equipment they have on them at the time.**

 **I have similar thoughts on Naruto vs. Sakura. In a normal spar, I would say Sakura would win, if only because Naruto has no way of putting her down without fatally injuring her. Which, let's be honest, he wouldn't do unless he thought of her as the enemy. And that would never happen.**

 **Honestly, the 78th class has the best two fighters in all of Danganronpa in my opinion. Unless I'm forgetting someone. I don't know. What do you guys think?**

 **I've always thought Izayoi had a cool design. Unfortunately, his character left a lot to be desired as far as I'm concerned. This is probably because I'm not a big Ruruka fan. Not to worry, though. I don't do bashing. I'll make sure to fairly write their characters to the best of my ability.**

 **Speaking of characters I don't like, someone asked if I was going to include the V3 cast in this. I'll be upfront and say that I hadn't made any plans to do so. I'm one of those who didn't like V3 all that much, and found the cast in the game to be the worst one of the 3 main installments. Unpopular opinion I know. That's not to say I didn't like any of them. Just that overall, I prefer the cast from the first two games. That said, if you guys want to, I wouldn't mind eventually including them. That would almost turn this into a Development Plan fanfic, though.**

 **If anyone has ever watched** _ **Darker than Black**_ **, then you'll automatically know where my inspiration came from for Naruto's new gear. I hope everyone likes it too.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me this time. Thank you all for the support. It does mean a lot.**

 **Till next time.**


	11. Ultimate Event

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10:  
** **Ultimate Event**

It was the start of another beautiful Tuesday morning. The Sun was just barely making its presence known for the day, but Naruto and Gundham were already up and about. This was usual for the breeder, being up at this hour. He had a variety of tasks that needed to be completed at these early hours, but the blond was still trying to once again cope with being awake so early in the morning. For the second day in a row no less! Shikamaru would be so disappointed in him right now.

'Then again, he was already being forced to wake up early by his mom and grandma Tsunade…..'

The Nara would always complain, but he'd still fulfill his duties. That's probably why Tsunade tolerated his lazy attitude.

'I'm really starting to understand what he meant about getting a good night's rest, though.'

The blond had been up pretty late last night trying on his new gear that had been given to him by Tengan. That devious old man sure knew how to pull a fast one on him. Not that Naruto minded this time. He was more confident in facing the challenges that the future had in store for him.

Naruto's mood was lifted the moment he stepped inside Gundham's shop, as a certain red kit suddenly jumped on him and started licking his face. Naruto was more than happy to let this happen as he started to laugh.

"Hahaha, I've missed you too, Kurama!"

And he meant it too. It was only for a few days, but it had still sucked to be separated from his new partner for that long. Hopefully something like this didn't have to happen again.

Gundham stood to the side and watched them with his arms crossed.

"H'mph, I am pleased to see that your contract still holds up…..."

Contract? Naruto didn't question the choice of words, and instead focused on hugging the little fox. His fur was still as soft as ever, but he smelled a lot better now. Not that Naruto had minded his natural smell. Gundham probably had something to do with this too.

"As foolish as this process has been, your contract is recognized by the standards you mortals have set on this Earth."

Naruto almost asked his friend what he was talking about, but there was no need to as Gundham handed him some papers. On it was his information listed, marking him as the official owner for Kurama. It also detailed the checkup that had been done on the fox, which made the little fox safe for the city life. Just as with Gundham's hamsters.

One of the papers had his identification information too, just for the records. And on it was something that caught Naruto's eye.

'There's that ID again…...'

Something Tengan had done for him, through the school, was mark him down for something called a national registration card and a passport too. From what he had learned, those were used to identify people from the nations they inhabited since apparently there were many so many of them. It wasn't like back in his world where one could just pack up and move to another village willy-nilly. The process here was more complicated. But basically, he was now something called a Japanese citizen, a person belonging to Japan, the country he was in at the moment. Naruto had no real problem with this, given that he spoke, wrote, and understood their language. That, and he had shown up here rather than anywhere else.

Japan was as close a home as he was going to have in this world.

"I hope I don't have to remind you of the responsibilities bestowed upon you from this day forth." Gundham was oddly serious for once. That was understandable, given that Naruto was going to be taking care of the little energetic fox from now on.

The blond saluted the breeder. "You don't have to worry. Kurama is in good hands. Besides, if I ever need help, I can always come to you. That's what friends are for."

"Always using that word lightly…...h'mph, very well. As long as you understand."

Naruto had to roll his eyes. "Stop playing hard to get already. It's clear that you already consider yourself one of us. You like us."

"What-!"

"Just admit it, and we can all go home."

Not really, as they had school today. But whatever!

Gundham clenched his jaw. "How dare you speak to me like that!? To the Overlord of Ice…..! To the world's greatest monster!"

Naruto almost scoffed. "Monster? You're the one who helped me bring Kurama to the city. Without you, I don't think I would have been able to do it."

Legally anyway. Naruto was confident he could have snuck the fox in, but that would have only caused more problems than it would solve. Like Mahiru telling him how irresponsible he was. That girl was serious about keeping them in line.

"I only helped you to honor the contract," Gundham retorted as he eyed Kurama who looked comfortable in Naruto's hands. "This familiar wishes to be with you, so it's only natural that I would lend a hand. It wasn't for your sake or anything!"

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Could it be that you're one of these 'tsundere' Teruteru was talking about earlier?"

He'd used the word correctly, right?

"…"

Gundham's eye twitched for just a moment. This was the first time anyone had bestowed such an insult upon him, and he didn't know how to react.

Naruto missed this and instead walked up to the boy to pat him on the shoulder. "You're not a villain, Gundham. At least not to us. You're a precious friend. Even if I don't understand half the stuff you're talking about. But that's also true about Nagito. What I'm trying to say is, better get used to us."

Gundham stepped back, scoffing. "You seem to misunderstand a very fundamental truth of this world, you Inari-look-alike."

Inari-whatnow?

Naruto ignored it. "And that is?"

Gundham's features softened as his hamsters all poked their heads out from his scarf. "That anything that talks will eventually betray you."

It was here that Naruto, for the first time, started to see Gundham, the real one. Not the persona he always wore around them, but as the real person he was underneath. It was just a short glimpse, but Naruto was able to see a lot in that one glimpse.

"Bonds…..." Gundham couldn't help but stare at Naruto who also turned somber. "They're beautiful. Being able to connect to people, to understand them, and they understand you. It should be a simple thing, but that's not how it is, right? To be able to understand one person…...to be able to see in their heart and really know what they're thinking, to really know who they are as a person…..it's never that simple. That's why you try to not get involved with others, isn't it? Unlike animals, you can't seem to understand what other people are thinking."

Gundham couldn't describe the feeling in his chest right now. It was hard to believe that someone was able to read him this easily. It was a bit disconcerting for him as Gundham had always prided himself in being able to keep his thoughts to himself. Because of this, Gundham was at a loss for words, for once.

Naruto didn't need the boy to answer, though, already knowing that he was right. It was a reasonable fear for anyone to have.

"A few years back, I was actually betrayed by my best friend, you know," Naruto said, remembering Sasuke. "At the time, I didn't understand the choices he made, so it felt like a betrayal to me. Now, I realize that I was the one who was trying to enforce my will upon him even though I didn't know the whole story. I didn't understand him, so we couldn't reach an understanding between us. Because of it, our bond suffered. That's why it felt like I was being betrayed, when that wasn't totally the case."

"What's the meaning of this story?" Gundham cut in, not understanding why the blond was telling him something like this.

Scratching his head, Naruto said, "It's because I also know how difficult bonds can be. They're not always positive. Sometimes, they can bring you pain too. That's the risk you take when you decide to befriend someone, when you try to understand them. But you know something?" Naruto placed a hand over his heart and smiled. "I think it's worth it. Because when you feel pain for another person, you realize that you are truly connected to them. They're in your heart, where you can never lose them." He locked eyes with Gundham who was still staring at him. "Don't run away. Don't let the fear control you. Don't shy away from making connections with other people just because you fear betrayal. Otherwise, if you back down now, how can you call yourself an Overlord?"

"Oh…...?" Gundham started to cackle as his red eye glowed ominously. "Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

Naruto didn't back down. "If it is?"

"Ha, don't make me laugh! Don't underestimate the great Supreme Overlord of Ice! A challenge such as this is hardly worth my time!" He paused for a moment before pulling his scarf higher to cover his face. "But if you insist, I guess I have no choice but to go along with your delusions and give these…...bonds a try."

Naruto chuckled at this. Gundham would always be Gundham in the end. Keeping his tough front, while also sporting his soft heart. It suited the breeder quite nicely.

Naruto stretched out his fist to him. "Better make it official, right?"

Gundham was a bit confused for a moment before understanding what the blond was getting at.

With some hesitation, the breeder brought his fist forward too, and almost tenderly placed it against Naruto's. It was a slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Naruto grinned, which made Gundham grin a little too.

Gundham would always be Gundham, but at least Naruto was happy to see that he was finally able to understand Gundham a little better now. Not just for his **Ultimate** talent, but the boy underneath. As there was no talk of a barrier from the boy, Naruto could only assume that Gundham had finally come to view him as something closer to a friend.

"With this, a new contract has been forged," Gundham said, which made Naruto grin a little more.

This too was a great feeling.

* * *

"So you own this whole place?"

"Yes. Although I have recruited some of my followers to help with the maintenance of this fortress. As much as I want to be here sometimes, Hope's Peak Academy requires my attention longer than normal these days."

Gundham was giving Naruto a tour of the shop he was able to open with money from his sponsors. In the meantime, Kurama and the Four Dark Devas were having their own little meeting with one another off to the side. Naruto had no idea what they could be possibly saying to one another, but they seemed to communicate just fine despite being of different species.

Funny that.

The shop wasn't anything fancy by a long shot, but Naruto had a feeling that was done by design. Gundham didn't strike him as someone who cared for the luxurious. He only admired the stuff closest to him, which Naruto could appreciate since he was the same.

There were several other animals in the back of the shop. And even beyond that there was something that looked like a playroom for all the animals.

"You sure have a lot of them in here." Naruto spotted dogs, cats, chickens, birds, and an assortment of other mammals. Some reptiles too, like snakes, bugs, and others.

"Most of them come from the depravity of the wild," Gundham said, his arms crossed. He was silently enjoying himself as he showed Naruto around. Not as part of some business transaction, but just as…..classmates and possibly friends.

"Depravity of the wild?" Naruto guessed that meant that most of them were strays. It just further proved to him how much of a nice guy Gundham was, to be taking care of all these animals by himself like this.

"Of course, my most promising work is also present here," Gundham said while chuckling a bit.

"Hm?" That caught Naruto's attention.

Gundham struck another one of his poses, only his Four Dark Devas weren't on his shoulders this time.

"A fearsome demon beast with sparking silver fur…...it's to be a hybrid creature with dominant spots and bands! It will be the first of its kind! With me, as its master! Fuhahahahaha!"

"Ah…."

Another one of his great beasts, huh? Probably a hamster then. Well, it was great to see him so excited about his animals. He was just like Kiba and Shino in that regard, although more boisterous than both of them.

'With Shino, that's not saying much, though…..'

Putting those thoughts aside for now, Naruto let his eyes linger on the other animals for a moment. He knew Gundham had to be giving them the best care in the world, but he also knew that being stuck like this would never bring them true happiness either. Finding a suitable family, and being with them…...surely that was the best solution.

"Have you ever thought about holding an adoption event for them?"

Gundham paused here. "An adoption event…...?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. You know, finding people to raise them and care for them." He walked closer to their cages where they were being held. They all looked like happy animals. "I'm sure they would enjoy that, don't you think?"

Gundham had to think about that for a second. It wasn't that he was against the idea. As he had said earlier, he was often caught up with other matters and couldn't fully give them the proper attention they needed. It only got worse after he joined Hope's Peak Academy. Being around Naruto and the others cut more into his free time.

"How would you do such a thing?"

"Erm…..."

Naruto hadn't thought that far ahead honestly. But it shouldn't be too hard. Gundham had to be famous enough for his name to be recognizable in this field. Spreading the word would be the least of their concerns. But as to how to hold the event itself…...

'Hmm…...'

It didn't take long for inspiration to hit him, and it hit him hard.

Gundham watched a grin start to form on the blond's face.

It was game time!

* * *

Koichi had to stand back and watch as his class was quite literally taken from his hands by Naruto and Gundham, the two boys standing by the podium in front of the room. And did the blond have a fox on his shoulders?

What the hell is up with these kids?

Anyway, the man had been pushed to the back of the class as Naruto and Gundham apparently had some news they wanted to share with the others. Whatever that meant.

'I get the feeling it's going to make my time here a lot harder…...'

He sure was stuck with a rowdy bunch, wasn't he?

"What the hell is going on?" Fuyuhiko was the one who asked the obvious question here.

Mikan, while happy to see Kurama again, was also confused as to what Naruto was up to this time.

"You're not up to something weird, are you?" Mahiru asked with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto looked offended. "Weird? Me? Your accusation hurts me, Mahiru."

"Well, if the shoe fits…..."

Naruto raised his hand. "I assure you that I have pure intentions here. Gundham here can be my witness."

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "That guy is always up to something weird, so you're not helping your case."

While that wasn't totally false, it wasn't true either!

Sonia beamed. "I am most curious to know what our friends have to say this morning."

"You're always excited about everything," Fuyuhiko said under his breath. It was like their princess had the mentality of a nine-year-old sometimes.

"Eh, just get to it already," Akane said with impatience.

Naruto grinned. "Well, it's quite simple really. While Gundham was showing me around his store, I realized that there is a way to help all the animals there find a suitable home. And by working together too."

Chiaki lowered her console. "You're organizing another event for us?"

"Nah, _we_ are organizing an event!" Naruto corrected. "We're holding a festival to invite people to adopt all the homeless animals!"

Kazuichi t'ched. "Seriously? That's your big idea? I thought you were going to suggest something more fun than that….."

Gundham shot him a glare. "You fool! You know nothing of what you speak of!"

"Oh yeah!?"

"Don't start another argument, you morons," Fuyuhiko cut in. "It's too damn early for that."

Kazuichi backed down, but still met Gundham's glare with his own. The mechanic was still regarding the breeder as his rival in love for Sonia's hand.

Nagito smiled and clapped. "I think that's an excellent idea, Uzumaki-kun! Seeing all your talents come together to form a festival would be dazzling. Your rays of hope, united as one, would surely blind everyone else around you. It's like poetry in motion!"

Once again, no one in the class was exactly thrilled by Nagito's words, except for Naruto who simply smiled and nodded.

Nagito seemed to be on board with the idea, and that's all that matters.

"Uh, why didn't you ask me about this first?" Koichi asked from his spot in the back of the class.

Naruto shrugged. "Do we need your permission for something like this?"

"Well…..."

No, they didn't. But still! He was their teacher! It was only natural that they would ask him for permission! Right!?

No one really seemed too keen on doing that, though, much to his bitter disappointment.

'Where has all the respect gone dammit!'

"Hehehe, this sounds like the perfect chance for Ibuki to shine!" The girl jumped on top of her desk to show off one of her rocking poses. "The Ibuki-Hiyoko-chan duo is back!"

The dancer huffed in indignation. "Who said I was even going to do something like that ever again? Especially for some losers who probably wouldn't even appreciate how awesome I am."

"You're going that far, huh?" Kazuichi said, sweatdropping.

"Please, Hiyoko." Naruto pleaded to the girl, his eyes staring at her. "It would mean a lot to me and Gundham if you could participate."

It didn't take long for Hiyoko to blush when she saw Naruto's intense blue eyes staring at her.

"W-Well…...fine," she relented. "It's not like you guys could do this without me anyway."

Teruteru giggled. "Ah, the tsundere act is always the best."

Hiyoko looked ready to slice him into little pieces, which just made the cook all the more excited.

Ryota glanced around the classroom. "So we're doing this?"

Fuyuhiko sighed and closed his eyes. "If we don't, Uzumaki probably won't shut up about it till we agree."

"Love you too, Fuyuhiko!"

The yakuza twitched but didn't rise to the bait.

Peko smiled softly. "Regardless, it does sound like fun. Holding a festival of our own…..it shall be a new experience for me."

"COUNT ME IN!" Nekomaru shouted at the top of his lungs, nearly crushing his desk in the process. "I'll make sure to lend my support to make this the best festival anyone's ever seen!"

And he was Nidai Nekomaru, dammit! He always meant what he said!

"I-I will give it my best as well!" Mikan declared from her seat.

Mahiru felt a headache washing over her. "You guys are just so random, aren't you? Deciding things so quickly…...do we even have a plan for this?"

Gundham smirked. "The wind shall be the guide for this journey."

Mahiru deadpanned. "So that's a no then."

How wonderful.

Naruto shrugged it off. "Don't stress over it, Mahiru. It's like I said before. Together, there's nothing we can't do. If we all put our heads together, I'm sure it'll turn out great. Besides, it'll be fun. Better than sitting in class all day."

"Oi!"

Koichi went ignored.

"Hahaha, you always know what to say, Uzumaki-kun." Nagito, of course, was pleased by all of this. It was always great to see what his new friend would come up with to bring the class closer together.

"This is going to be a lot of work, though," Ryota muttered, already dreading all the manual labor that was to come.

"We'll divide all the tasks among ourselves," Naruto said. "I have a basic idea of what a fun festival is all about, but I wouldn't mind taking any suggestions you guys might have."

"Now time out here." Koichi finally got over the lack of respect his class had for him to step into the conversation. "Where exactly are you thinking of holding this little party of yours? Hope's Peak is closed to all outsiders."

Only students and staff were allowed. And even Reserve Course Students couldn't come close to the main school building. It was forbidden.

Naruto frowned. "The headmaster could-"

"He won't." Of that, Koichi was certain. Not because the man thought it would be embarrassing to have normal people on campus, but because the board had ruled against it. They wanted to preserve Hope's Peak as much as possible…...whatever that meant.

Naruto had to grumble at this. "That's a load of bull. How is anyone supposed to have any fun around here if there are so many rules?"

Well…...school wasn't exactly about fun.

Sonia looked downcast. "Does that mean we can't have the festival then?"

She had been so excited to take part in it too.

Fuyuhiko sighed. It's not like he wanted to participate in something so stupid, but…..goddammit it all.

"If we can't have it here, then I'll get a place cleared for us. It won't be hard to rent out a park or something."

Especially with his family's notoriety.

A look of surprise flashed on Peko's face at her master's suggestion.

Naruto grinned. "Seriously? You can do that?"

Fuyuhiko scoffed. "Don't underestimate the yakuza, you idiot. Nothing is beyond us."

"Yeah, and that still scares me a little," Kazuichi said with a sheepish look.

Fuyuhiko ignored him.

Despite her surprise, Mahiru smiled. "It looks like we can still do this then."

Sonia was elated. "Oh, how wonderful!"

"Yes, how kind of Kuzuryu-kun," Nagito said with his smile.

Koichi was slightly amused by this, but he didn't comment on it. If the brats really wanted to do this, then good on them. It meant less teaching time too. Win-win for everyone.

"But when is the festival going to take place exactly?" Mikan asked.

Naruto shrugged. "We were thinking this weekend. If possible."

Mahiru shook her head. "You really don't think these things through, do you?"

"I don't think it's impossible to meet that deadline, though," Nagito spoke up, feeling like it was totally possible to prepare everything in that amount of time.

"We are going to have to organize ourselves right away then," Mahiru said with a hand under her chin. "Figure out who's going to do what."

"What's even in a festival anyway?" Akane asked. She had never been in one before. No reason to.

Ibuki poked her fingers together. "Ibuki thinks that's a rather sad question…."

"I believe we can make the festival whatever we want it to be," Peko said. She had gone to a few in the past with her young master. They all had a theme to them, depending on the time of year and where it was taking place.

Teruteru combed his hair while smirking. "In that case, I wouldn't mind if my food was the main attraction. It'll make everyone go mad with pleasure."

"Sometimes you scare me, man," Kazuichi said with a shake of his head.

"We can have multiple themes!" Nagito smiled more. "For example, we can have Mioda-san and Saionji-san's concert, Hanamura-kun's food, and maybe even have Nanami-san create a couple of games for people to play."

That last idea was enough to make Chiaki put down her game and smile in bliss. "That sounds…..nice. Creating real-life games…...I could make so many of them…...and have everyone smiling and enjoying themselves."

It was the first time the others were seeing Chiaki so excited, and it was enough to make them all smile a little.

Even Nagito could say the right thing sometimes. But for the lucky boy, all of this was obvious. Normal people existed to make the **Ultimates** shine. To make their talents more obvious. Those without talent were the stepping stones, the unworthy, nothing more. That's why he was excited to see his classmates put on a show where they could convey just how superior they were to the common people.

"I'll take care of the decorations then!" Sonia nearly jumped at the idea, happy to take part in another activity with her friends. "I've always wanted to do something like this."

"Whoohooo! Ibuki and Hiyoko-chan will take care of the music! The world will see nothing else like it!" Ibuki shouted.

Hiyoko crossed her arms and looked away. "Just don't slow me down. I don't usually work with other people, so you better bring your A game."

"The food will of course be taken care by me," Teruteru said as he whistled. "But if anyone wishes to lend me a hand, then you're more than welcome to assist lil old me."

"I'll take some pictures of the animals to make posters and pass the word around," Mahiru said while holding up her camera. "That way, people will know what kind of animals are going to be up for adoption."

And Chiaki was taking care of the games while Fuyuhiko secured a location for them. That pretty much took care of the big jobs.

"Hey, what are the rest of us supposed to do?" Kazuichi asked while scratching his head. He didn't want to be left out of the planning. Especially when Gundham was in the middle of it.

"The rest of us will lend the others support," Naruto said while shrugging. "We can't let them do it all on their own."

"Spoken like a true leader!" Nekomaru exclaimed.

Koichi hid his smirk. The deadline for choosing a class representative was fast approaching. If any of this was anything to go by, then that decision was going to be an easy one.

"Looks like we're doing this then." Fuyuhiko suddenly stood up from his seat. "I've gotta make some calls."

Naruto turned to him. "I'm coming with you."

Fuyuhiko was surprised. "Why?" It wasn't that he was against the idea of the blond hanging around him, but he didn't know why Naruto would choose to do so.

"You're gonna ask your clan for help, right? Since I'm one of the main planners, it's only natural I'd tag along for support. Gundham has to let Mahiru in his shop for the pictures, so it's gotta be me."

"Awwww." Ibuki pouted at this. "Ibuki was going to ask you to support her with her music, Naruto-chan. But now you've ruined it!"

"Maybe later?" he suggested as he grabbed his bag.

Ibuki struck another pose. "Ibuki will make you keep that promise!"

"Well, it's not like we _need_ your help," Hiyoko said with her usual attitude. But then she looked away again. "But it couldn't hurt…...I guess."

"Tsunde-"

"Shut up already!"

Teruteru merely laughed in joy. It was always nice to receive this kind of treatment~

Only someone with his disposition would think something like that.

Everyone in the class began to stand up in order to get a move on with their jobs. Naruto and Fuyuhiko were out the door first with Peko watching them go. She wondered if her young master was going to bring Naruto to their home. That would be a first for him, bringing someone from school over to their home.

'She will be pleased…..'

Fuyuhiko's mother was always asking her if Fuyuhiko was making any friends at school. Peko was always forced to say no all these years. But now…..

"U-Um, Pekoyama-san….."

Peko came out of her thoughts to see Mikan standing in front of her.

"Yes, Tsumiki-san?"

The nurse fidgeted a bit under Peko's cool stare. "You seemed to be spacing off, and everyone is already leaving. So…."

Peko's eyes closed. "My apologies. I was just wondering which task I am best suited to aid."

Mikan was wondering the same thing. She could help Sonia with the decorations, maybe? But Mikan didn't think her tastes would be well received by the populace.

"If you're looking for something to do, then there's a job you could help me with~" Teruteru suddenly spun into the scene. Like, literally, he was spinning next to them.

Peko was no longer surprised by his odd mannerisms. "What do you have in mind?"

If it was anything she could help with, then…...

Chuckling, Teruteru said, "I believe we are going to need more than just pictures of some animals to get the word out. That's why I am sure that Koizumi-chan wouldn't mind snapping some pictures of you in…...welcoming attires."

Welcoming attires?

Peko suddenly felt her skin crawl. "What are you-"

"Like bikinis, and sexy neko outfits, or, or-!"

Like a speeding bullet, Peko had her bamboo sword in hand and swatted Teruteru away while Mikan let out a small "eep" in surprise. The cook was sent flying into the wall of the classroom, but no one batted an eye to this. If Peko of all people was reacting like this, then it had to be Teruteru's fault.

"T-Thank for you the treat!" Teruteru cried out from the hole in the wall.

Mikan didn't know how to react to this while Peko shook her head.

"Don't fall for his trickery, Tsumiki-san."

Mikan slowly nodded but then said, "We still don't know what to help with…..."

She didn't want to feel useless. Especially not when this was Naruto's idea.

Peko thought about their situation a bit more while picking up her bag as Mikan trailed behind.

"I suggest for now we ask the others and see if they need any help. I'm sure someone wouldn't mind the extra help."

Mikan accepted the idea and followed after Peko, the two girls leaving the classroom.

Only Koichi remained behind with a passed out Teruteru in the hole. He was mentally crying that no one was asking him for help, but he was also cheering because this meant that he had the day off…...and possibly the week too.

'But wait….if they screw this up, then it's my ass that's going to be on the line…...'

And he couldn't have that. He didn't want to be demoted to teaching at the Reserve Course. That would just be cruel and unworthy of something with his capabilities.

'Gotta make sure the brats don't blow anything up!'

Koichi quickly ran out the classroom to make good on his new mission, all the while shivering at this potential demotion.

* * *

"You serious about this?"

"Yeah, just like how I've been for the past thirty minutes. Calm down already, jeez."

Fuyuhiko glowered at the taller blond. "S-Shut up! This is a first for me, alright!"

"A first?" Naruto sounded confused. He and Fuyuhiko were standing outside the illustrious Kuzuryu compound in the city. He wasn't sure if this was Fuyuhiko's main home or what, but the place was huge. It was also surrounded by mobsters in suits, who saluted Fuyuhiko every time he walked past them. Naruto was also aware of the curious stares being shot his way.

"I-It's the first time I'm bringing someone home from school," Fuyuhiko managed to say. It was painful to admit that, but it was only natural. Most people were just afraid of someone with his background and reputation. Naruto was the one exception to that…...and the others at Hope's Peak. For the most part. Kazuichi was still hesitant to be around him, but the mechanic was slowly warning up to him.

"Don't be like that," Naruto said. "I'm not gonna run away or anything. I just wanna thank your pops for all the support he's given us. We couldn't have made the camping trip a success without your help."

Fuyuhiko t'sked and walked inside the compound. A part of him was annoyed with how much Naruto downplayed his involvement in bringing the class together, while the rest of him just chalked it up to Naruto being Naruto.

Speaking of the Uzumaki, he was just in awe at the interior of the yakuza compound. It had that Japanese traditional look to it, although to him it looked just like one of the clan compounds from his dimension. Heck, he remembered the Hyuuga's having a similar looking compound when he visited Hinata and Neji back in the day. It made him feel relaxed. Not something most people would think when visiting the home of the most powerful yakuza gang in the country.

Fuyuhiko led Naruto to the main gathering room as he gestured to one of the mobsters to tell his old man that he was here.

The two boys sat in seiza while waiting for Fuyuhiko's father to arrive. Kurama took this time to hop off Naruto's shoulder to take a look around and see if there was anything here worthwhile. Like delicious food or other animals. In the meantime, Naruto looked around the room more, taking in all the decor. It wasn't trying to be fancy…...but it still looked fancy, funny enough. There was a gold sword on display case in the back of the room too, adding to the overall "yakuza" atmosphere.

"You guys went all out, huh?"

Fuyuhiko shrugged. "All of this is what my old man likes. He's kind of a hothead, but he's got a good eye. My mom doesn't mind it. They're both yakuza by blood, so it only makes sense that they agree about stuff like this."

By blood, huh? Naruto had to wonder for how long the Kuzuryu clan had been around. Was it an ancient clan like the Uchiha? Or was it relatively new in comparison?

Those questions left his mind when the yakuza head walked into the room, followed by a woman. They were both blonds, kind of like Fuyuhiko. The man had more scars, though, and plenty of tattoos on his arm which were visible through his sleeveless kimono. The woman had softer features and had long hair. She was quite beautiful and was in a kimono as well.

Although to Naruto, his mother Kushina was still more beautiful. It was just his bias talking, but his mom was absolutely the best.

"So this is quite the surprise," the man said as he sat down in seiza along with his wife. They sat right in front of the boys, with the two parents studying Naruto carefully. "We weren't expecting any visitors today."

His voice was rough, but Naruto couldn't sense any sort of real hostility from the man. Just plain curiosity. The same could be said of his wife.

"It was sort of last minute," Fuyuhiko said with his arms crossed. He pushed his embarrassment down now that he was facing his old man. "This idiot here doesn't really plan things, so much as he just comes up with random ideas on the spot."

"How was I supposed to know that Gundham had so many animals in his shop?" Naruto defended himself. "Besides, you should have seen them! They totally belong with families of their own, not stuck in a shop."

Kurama let out a small noise at this, most likely agreeing with Naruto's words.

"That's not what I meant, dumbass. You always jump into something without giving it much thought. Then we have to carry the rest for you. It's annoying."

"That sounds like great teamwork to me. And don't say you don't enjoy it either! It's just like Mahiru said. You were totally looking forward to that camping trip!"

"S-Shut up! I was not! I was just following you bastards! That's it!"

"Hehe, you should be more honest with your feelings, Fuyuhiko."

"W-What the fuck did you just say!?"

As the two had their little back-and-forth, the adults in the room watched them with varying amounts of amusement. For them, this was the first time seeing their son interact with someone his own age…...well, interact with someone his age in a normal fashion. Kids in Fuyuhiko's age usually just ran away from him before they got to know him. But this was…..

"It's so adorable!"

Fuyuhiko suddenly found himself being embraced by his mother, cutting off his argument with Naruto who simply raised an eyebrow.

"You finally have another friend your own age! I'm so proud of you, Fuhi!"

Fuhi? Wait, what?

Fuyuhiko's cheeks turned red. "D-Don't just start saying random shit, mom! He's going to get the wrong idea!"

Naruto smirked, catching on. "Nah, I think I have the perfect idea over here, Fuhi."

Kurama nodded to himself.

Fuyuhiko glowered as his cheeks turned even redder. "M-Motherfucker! If you tell the others about this, I swear-ouch!"

His cheek was suddenly being pulled by none other than his mother who was giving him a disapproving look.

"It's not nice to threaten your new friend like that, Fuhi. We wouldn't want to scare him away, now would we?"

Naruto snickered. "It's no problem, oba-san. Everyone in class already knows he's a good guy. And a good friend too."

She smiled. "Is that so? Well, I'm pleased to hear that." She let go of her son's cheek and sat back down next to her husband who was still looking at Naruto with curiosity.

Fuyuhiko rubbed his reddened cheek and silently grumbled to himself. His mom was one of the few people he could never talk back to, lest he wanted to lose his life. And that was no exaggeration either. When she and the old man fought, they would go all out against one another. Fuyuhiko considered himself tough, but not _that_ tough. Not yet at least.

Moms were just scary.

"While I'm happy to see that my son is finally enjoying his youth, I am still not sure I'm understanding your reason for being here," the yakuza head spoke, bringing the conversation back to focus.

"Oh, right." The Uzumaki scratched his head and said, "I just wanted to thank you in person for all the help you gave us in the camping trip we took. Having those cars ready really made it easy for us."

The man waved his hand in dismissal. "There's no need to thank us for that. When we heard that our son here was excited to hang out with his new friends, it was only natural we would step up. That's our duty as parents."

"I-I was not excited!" Fuyuhiko yelled in denial. But of course, no one believed him. He was just being tsundere again.

Naruto had to respect the man before him. He didn't fit the stereotypical image of a mobster. Naruto was sure that he wasn't seeing the man in his entirety, though. To run the largest and most powerful yakuza organization in the country…...it definitely required a hard hand. If anyone crossed him, Naruto was sure that he wouldn't be this amiable.

That was a thought for another day, though.

"I'm glad to hear that. Because we have another activity in mind, and we could really use your help, oji-san!"

Before another word could be said, someone else came walking into the room with a hand on her hips.

"What's with all the racket in here?"

Naruto turned to the newcomer. It was almost like he was staring at a younger version of Fuyuhiko's mother. She had long blonde hair, grayish olive eyes similar to Fuyuhiko, and pinkish cheeks. She wore a dark sailor uniform, probably from some other school in the area.

Fuyuhiko had to groan at his misfortune. "Natsumi, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

The girl, Natsumi, huffed and retorted with, "I could say the same to you, onii-chan. What, are you skipping again?" She then noticed Naruto who was just staring at her with mild curiosity. "Huh? Who's this guy?"

"He's Fuhi's new friend, isn't that just wonderful!" their mother was just all smiles and giggles at this point.

Fuyuhiko held his head and mentally groaned. "He's from school. He wanted to thank the old man and ask him for a favor."

Natsumi was more than a little surprised to hear this. Someone actually wanted to hang with her big bro? That was a first.

'But Hope's Peak is filled with talented people like onii-chan. So it only makes sense that they could understand him when other people can't...'

This only further cemented her desire to join Hope's Peak one day. Not as a Reserve Course student, but from the Main Course. Just like her big brother. That was the only way she was going to be worthy of standing next to him.

"Natsumi said she had no motivation to go to school today," their father explained with mild annoyance. "Even though she has no reason to skip."

"And like I already said, papa, I don't want to go back to that crummy school!" Natsumi said in aggravation. "Hope's Peak Academy is the only place for me!"

'Huh…...' Naruto suddenly felt like he was being privy to some familial problems that he probably wasn't supposed to see. As a side note, Kurama hopped on his lap as he watched the proceedings in silence.

"Dumbass, you're still going on about that?" Fuyuhiko shook his head. "Just forget about it already, okay? There's no reason for you to force yourself to go to Hope's Peak. It's stupid."

Natsumi gave her brother a glare. "That's not-!"

"That's enough!"

Their father's voice broke through, silencing them both. Even Naruto felt the power radiating from the man right now.

"We have a guest in our home, and you are both behaving like children. That's no way for you to act. You should know better by now."

Natsumi didn't look satisfied at all, but she knew talking back to her father wasn't the way to go. And so, she decided on leaving the room for now. She spared Naruto one final glance before walking off, her shoulders shaking in anger.

Naruto just sat back and let out a mental sigh.

Well. This was complicated.

* * *

Mikan and Peko joined Chiaki and Ryota who were out by one of the fountains in the courtyard of the school.

"What are you two doing here?" Ryota asked them.

"As unfortunate as it sounds, we don't have duties assigned to us yet," Peko answered, sounding genuinely frustrated. "We don't want to be left out and not help with the festival. That's why we came to see if you needed any help."

"Hmm, I don't think there's much you can do here," Ryota said as he looked at Chiaki. "We're trying to brainstorm ideas for games we're going to have at the festival."

"They have to be grand!" Chiaki spread her arms out, her cheeks flushed in excitement. "We can't let any other festival in history have better games than us!"

"That's a bit excessive," Mikan muttered, still surprised to see Chiaki this excited.

Ryota sighed. "She's taking this a little _too_ seriously."

Peko smiled a little. "If it makes her happy, there's no reason to stop her. I don't think Naruto-san will mind."

"So you say, but are we going to have enough money to fund whatever crazy ideas come out of her head?" Ryota pointed out.

Peko relented there.

"We can worry about that later!" Chiaki started to walk around them, her mind filled with ideas. "Mitarai-kun, I'm going to have you draw as many sketches as possible! That way we don't miss a single opportunity! We have to make sure every idea is put on paper!"

Ryota was resigned to this fate the moment the gamer girl had dragged him out of the classroom.

Peko turned to Mikan. "I don't think we are going to be much use here. Perhaps we should see if Sonia-san requires our assistance."

Mikan was somewhat reluctant to go along with that idea, since she was sure that no one would like her ideas. But if they could at least help a little, then that would be great.

Hopefully.

* * *

The two girls tracked the princess down at the gym. She wasn't alone, though. Kazuichi, Nekomaru, and Akane were there as well.

"Huh?" The mechanic was confused when he saw Peko and Mikan enter the gym. "What are you two doing here?"

Peko crossed her arms. "We came to see if you would be requiring some extra hands with the decorations."

"That's what we're here for, though," Akane said. "Sonia said she was going to need help moving things around."

So Akane and Nekomaru were the muscle then?

"I'm supposed to be helping with building some of the stuff," Kazuichi said while scratching his cheek. "Nanami also asked for my help later. I'm quite popular, aren't I?"

Mikan did her best to give him an encouraging smile.

Sonia clapped her hands from where she stood on the stage. "We can always use more opinions. After all, we want to make this a festival that everyone can enjoy."

Mikan looked down in slight embarrassment. "W-Well, I haven't actually gone to any before….."

She would just look from afar, but her parents had never taken her to see one.

"Huh, you're not alone," Akane said while shrugging. "I've never been to one either. Always seemed like a waste of time."

Kazuichi shot her a dull stare. "Your childhood was sad, wasn't it?"

Akane merely picked her ear with indifference.

Peko on the other hand could remember the times she'd spent on festivals in the past. Most of them had been sponsored by the Kuzuryu clan, and she had only attended as her young master's bodyguard. But still. That had to count for something, right?

"Festivals are a great way to relax after a hard won victory," Nekomaru said with a smile, thinking back to the celebrations he'd been a part of.

"I am sure that a Japanese festival is much different from those in my homeland. That is why I will require your help in making sure that everything goes well," Sonia said to them.

Kazuichi grinned and placed his hands behind his head. "You don't have to worry about that, Miss Sonia. I'm sure all your decorations will be great."

Of course he would think that.

"But it must be animal-themed, or something along those lines….." Sonia trailed off, consumed by her thoughts.

"Animal-themed?" Akane began to drool. "Is it going to be meat!?"

Sonia gasped. "Owari-san, you're drooling like a waterfall!"

"Just ignore her," Nekomaru simply said.

Once Akane got thinking about food, there was no stopping her. And a festival just on meat...that would be the best thing ever for the gymnast.

The others began to think on what they would want to see in a festival as well, even Mikan who had never been to one.

Every idea counted.

* * *

Nagito looked unsure about his…..or rather, _their_ next course of action.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hanamura-kun?"

Teruteru, having fully recovered from Peko's punishment, was smiling and nodding.

"But of course I am! I need to show Uzumaki-kun that my cooking is the best in the world. To do that, I need to knock out the competition first."

That's why the two **Ultimates** were now standing in front of the ramen shop Naruto worked at. It was certainly nothing fancy. It did remind Teruteru of his family diner back home, though. Not that he was going to say that out loud.

"I think it would be a waste of your precious time," Nagito admitted with his arms crossed. He had been here the day before with Sonia and some of the others. "Your skills far surpass those of an insignificant shop like this."

"That may be, but Uzumaki-kun seems to like this place. And I can't have that. I need to be number one in his heart!"

Was it really that important? Then again, Nagito could understand wanting to capture Naruto's attention. In a way, he felt the same way. Unlike Teruteru, though, he had no chance of making that happen. He didn't have a wonderful talent like everyone else.

"That's why I'm going to challenge the owner of this place to a cook-off!" Teruteru continued, his face brimming with determination. "The winner takes all! Including Uzumaki-kun's virginity!"

Nagito was too astonished to say anything to that. Besides, wasn't Mikan the one who wanted that….? Furthermore, why would a middle-aged man want something like Naruto's virginity? The more Nagito thought about it, the less it made any sense.

'Hmm…...this is all so confusing…...'

Stuff like this was just out of his control, much like his luck. No, it was worse. At least he could _understand_ his luck, but this?

Nope.

He was sort of mentally cheering for Mikan, though. If two hopes could come together like that, then an even stronger hope would be born, right?

Keeping his confidence, Teruteru walked into the ramen shop to make good on his promise. He was going to win this battle! Seeing this, Nagito began to follow, albeit at a slower pace than his classmate.

Something was telling him that this was going to be more trouble than it was worth. Coming from him, that was saying something.

* * *

Naruto was lying on his back on the courtyard of the Kuzuryu compound with a sleeping Kurama resting on his stomach. There was a main tree in the middle with the perfect shade, and very comfortable grass to go along with it. It was the perfect place to nap. Shikamaru would have loved this place.

"Your family is something else."

Fuyuhiko, who stood over the Uzumaki next to the tree, sighed. "Most people wouldn't be able to handle them. You managed to impress the old man, though. It's not everyday some kid manages to talk to him like an equal. His reputation is too scary for anyone to try that."

Naruto chuckled. "I have no idea about his reputation, so that makes sense. He's still a cool dude. Your mom is nice too."

"You only say that because you haven't seen her scary side," Fuyuhiko sweatdropped at the thought. His mother could fight on even terms with his old man. That's one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her apparently.

Naruto grinned. "I guess that's true. My kaa-chan was scary too."

Fuyuhiko went quiet at that, remembering that Naruto was an orphan. Losing someone close like that…...Fuyuhiko couldn't even begin to imagine going through something like that.

"We now have our spot for the festival," he said, changing the subject. "Not sure how many people will show up, though. A whole festival just for animals?"

"It's not _just_ the animals. We'll also have Ibuki and Hiyoko's concert, Chiaki's games, Teruteru's food, and Sonia's arrangement. With Mahiru's photos to spread the word, it's going to attract a lot of people. I'm sure of it."

"Heh, I guess with all of their efforts put together like that, it's bound to be amazing."

Fuyuhiko had his doubts about Ibuki's music, though…...

"But of course!" Naruto sat up and made sure to not disturb Kurama's rest. "When we work together, there's nothing we can't do. That's how the impossible is accomplished. Having friends cover for the things you yourself can't do on your own…...that's the best way to look at it, I think."

Fuyuhiko was silent for a second before speaking, "When you talk like that, it makes me believe you're a leader of some big organization or something."

"Thanks for that. My dream was to become the leader of my village, ya know."

"For your world peace dream?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. That came later. I wanted to lead because…..well, I wanted people to acknowledge my existence."

"What does that mean?"

"Complicated stuff…..not really worth talking about anymore."

Fuyuhiko wasn't convinced, but if Naruto didn't want to talk about it, then that was that. It wasn't like he didn't have his secrets.

"Anyway, I can understand that desire to lead," Naruto continued as he petted the sleeping Kurama. "Though, I don't think my younger self realized just how tough it is to become a leader. I was more concerned with getting recognized."

"That's not how things work, idiot," Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head. "More often than not, it's only _after_ you get recognized that you become leader. It doesn't happen before…..not unless you try to force them."

Naruto cracked a smile at this. "Someone once said something very similar to me. But I get it. I was just a kid back then, alright? I didn't really understand many things at the time. I had a very…...simplistic worldview."

"And you don't now?"

"I get the feeling you're trying to say something here."

Fuyuhiko did. "You're trying to go for peace. And you're trying to get all of us to join you, even though we're all different and don't mesh very well. That's very simplistic."

Naruto's eyebrow went up. "You really believe that? From my perspective, we've been making great progress lately. Heck, even Hiyoko is working with someone now!"

That was an improvement in Naruto's mind.

Fuyuhiko still had his doubts. Not about them, but Naruto. This weird bastard…..he wanted to see if he was the real deal. So far, Fuyuhiko didn't have any true complaints. Even Peko had a liking for the blond, and that never happened before Hope's Peak.

The yakuza nearly walked over and slapped Naruto over the head. "If you're going to lead, you're going to have to wise up."

"Lead?" Naruto was confused. "I don't think I could ever do something like that."

Not anymore at last.

But you already are, dumbass. Fuyuhiko wanted to say that, but he kept his mouth shut instead. Having Naruto like this…..maybe it was for the best. A leader's main goal was to keep the group together, and so far the Uzumaki had managed to do that with ease. It made Fuyuhiko painfully aware of his shortcomings as a leader. He really wanted to know, what Naruto thought of him in that regard. It would be too embarrassing to ask, though.

"But I guess I think we can both learn together," Naruto suddenly said, catching Fuyuhiko's attention. "I may not be able to become the leader of my village anymore, but I still have my other dream. And you want to lead your clan, right? They both require leadership, so learning from one another isn't a bad plan."

Fuyuhiko gripped the sleeve of his dress shirt. "Do you believe I can actually become a good leader?"

The question left his mouth before he'd realized what he was saying. It was almost like a different part of himself had asked the question, the part that was filled with all of his insecurities.

Naruto looked at the shorter boy. "That's only something you can answer for yourself, Fuyuhiko. It's like you said before. Leadership isn't given. It's earned. You have to work for it. If you don't give it your best shot, then you have no reason to earn it. Work hard, earn the trust of those around you, and then you can start thinking about leading them. It's only after they start seeing you as a leader that you can become one."

Fuyuhiko accepted those words into his heart, almost as a cure. He had thought similarly before, but having someone else tell him did wonders to ease his fears. It all came down to him….he was the one in control. He could do it if he wanted to.

'I have to believe in myself first…'

Otherwise, how could he expect others to believe in him?

The yakuza smirked. "You give some good speeches, but you're still an idiot ninety percent of the time. It's amazing really."

Naruto grumbled. "You could have left out that last part."

Fuyuhiko burst out in laughter. "Hahahaha, nah. I think it was necessary."

Naruto had to laugh as well. Seeing Fuyuhiko more relaxed with himself made him feel better too.

In a way, they both shared the same fear. But together, they could overcome that fear. Supporting one another, that's what friendship was all about.

In that moment, the two grew closer without even realizing it. Which just made it all that more special.

And to Fuyuhiko's parents, who were watching the whole exchange from a distance, it was a sight that surprised them but also warmed their hearts. Seeing their son so happy like this, so confident, radiating so much hope...

"I think we did the right thing, sending him to that school," she muttered.

The yakuza head was in silent agreement with his wife.

They weren't the only ones interested in the two boys' conversation. So was Natsumi, whose eyes were soft as she watched her dear brother have fun with someone who wasn't Peko.

'Onii-chan…...'

She tightened her fists, her face becoming determined.

'No matter what, I will get into Hope's Peak Academy…..!'

Then, and only then, she could stand next to her brother with pride.

* * *

 **I hadn't planned on that scene with Gundham. But after rewriting the exchange for over five times, I realized that it only made sense. I can't say I'm one hundred percent satisfied with it, but I hope it was still enjoyable for you all.**

 **Three students down, many more to go. I'm basically planning on using this festival as a way to further increase Naruto's bonds with everyone. Naturally, Fuyuhiko happened to fall into being the first. Who's next? I'll leave that to your imagination.**

 **I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but if not, yes. I am planning on using many of the scenes DR 3 Despair Arc ending. You can thank the Ibuki/Hiyoko/Chiaki band picture as inspiration for this festival. I want them to play for Naruto in a similar fashion, which is how this whole thing was spawned.**

 **This also marks Mikan's first steps toward being more confident in herself and acting even without Naruto being around for support. That'll be enjoyable to write as well. There's another reason why I paired her and Peko together. A funny reason. But I can't say, since it'd be a major spoiler. I'll leave it to your imagination.  
**

 **I think that about covers it.**

 **Till next time.**


	12. With Music comes Heart

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa. It needs to be said. Cruel world.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11:  
** **With Music comes Heart**

"What the fuck is up with all this crap, huh!?"

"This does seem a little…...extreme."

"Not even the gods themselves would ever consider putting on such a show."

"Oi, explain yourself right now. What the fuck was that broad thinking with all of this nonsense!?"

"I-It's not my fault! I told Nanami-san that it was too much, but she wouldn't listen!"

"She had that much control over you, huh?"

"D-Don't look at me with such eyes, Uzumaki-san! It's not fair! Not fair I say!"

At this moment, Ryota was in the middle of being chastised by Naruto, Fuyuhiko, and Gundham. Why were they doing this you might ask. Well, the answer was obvious.

It all had to do with Chiaki's ideas for the games they should have in the upcoming festival. With Ryota's sketches, the boys had a perfect idea of what Chiaki wanted, which just made the whole situation even more ludicrous.

Like, RISK, but with actual soldiers? BATTLESHIP, on a real ocean and with real battleships? A quest to search for actual gold in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest? And many more.

Just, what the fuck?

Naruto was real glad he knew what a battleship was too. Thank you, Sonia.

"That girl is out of her mind!" Fuyuhiko threw the sketches in the air, losing his patience. "How the fuck are we supposed to do crap like that, huh!? How!?"

Naruto didn't know. He simply petted Kurama as he watched Fuyuhiko rant over Chiaki's ideas while Ryota continued to apologize. Gundham had nothing further to say either, since he agreed with Fuyuhiko on this. These game ideas were just…...they weren't feasible.

"Man, you guys are loud," Kazuichi said as he and the others joined them.

Another thing. The boys were all in their locker room as they got ready for their P.E. class. Apparently they had that on Wednesdays. Naruto didn't mind. He much preferred this than sitting in some desk all day.

Since it was P.E., they were all in their P.E. uniforms. Even Kurama was wearing a white t-shirt like them. That way, he could be included in their activities too.

"It seems like Nanami-san has taken a few liberties," Nagito said while chuckling.

That's putting it mildly.

"We can't have games like that!" Teruteru cried out. He was looking through some of the sketches that were now on the floor. "Then my food won't be able to shine!"

"I thought this was about the animals?" Kazuichi pointed out.

"R-Right, that too!"

Naruto could sense Teruteru's lie from a mile away. He already knew the cook had done something stupid the day before at the ramen shop. Something about a cook-off or whatnot.

'The old man was depressed all afternoon…...'

He hand't bothered to tell Naruto any other details than that.

Fuyuhiko looked at Ryota. "Take these back and tell Nanami to get her act together. We can't do shit like that."

"I-I've already told her that!" Ryota quickly said. "But she doesn't listen! You guys have to tell her or something, because I give up trying to change her mind!"

"Hmm, that's going to be tough." Nagito hummed. "Nanami-san really loves games. If you deny her this…..."

Naruto didn't want to think about what a hurt Chiaki would look like.

"We just need to phrase it differently!" he said. "Like, tell her they're all great ideas, but that she should minimize her scope. That sounds good, right?"

Nagito said, "Well, out of everyone here, I'm sure Uzumaki-kun could convince her."

Fuyuhiko smirked, not minding the idea. "I suppose that's true. The idiot is the only one who could charm her."

Naruto scowled at the boy. "I wish you wouldn't phrase it like that."

"Yeah, no more Uzumaki harem moments!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "You already have Tsumiki, so back off!"

Naruto promptly sweatdropped. "Seriously, just what are you talking about?"

The stupid mechanic still wouldn't explain what that was about, and it was really starting to irritate the blond. It was like he was hording that over him, and Naruto didn't appreciate it.

"Don't act like you don't know, you idiot!"

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms and shook his head. "He really is _that_ stupid, Soda."

"S-Seriously?" Kazuichi looked surprised.

Naruto started to growl. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here, you assholes!"

"Gahahahaha!" Nekomaru suddenly burst in laughter. "It's pretty simple! They just mean that you and Tsumiki have a strong bond! Just like with the rest of us!"

The others, sans Naruto and Nagito, all looked at the team manager like he had grown a second hand.

'They're exactly the same…...'

Damn.

That seemed to placate the Uzumaki. "Oh, okay. Why didn't you say so in the first place? Jeez."

No words could describe just how frustrated Kazuichi was with the blond right now.

"I believe we can talk about all that later." Teruteru decided to focus on the important task at hand. "Let us not forget the sight that awaits us when we go outside., my fellow gentlemen."

He was all serious now too.

"Huh? What the fuck are you talking about now?" Fuyuhiko asked.

"How could you possibly ask such a question!" Teruteru nearly raged as he shook his fists. "Did you already forget what our dear female classmates will be wearing today!?"

It took a moment for the question to register in, but soon enough almost all of them understood what Teruteru was getting at.

"Oh, that's right!" Kazuichi squealed in excitement, his eyes full of sparkles and hope. "They're going to be wearing bloomers today!"

He didn't much care for seeing Hiyoko like that, but the others…...they were all fair game to him.

"Hehehe, that's right." Teruteru winked at them. "Nirvana is waiting for us!"

"H'mph, I highly doubt your claim," Gundham butted in. "For that to happen, much more is required. Not just-"

"Okay, stop talking!" Kazuichi cut him off. "I don't want this happy occasion to be ruined by your melodrama."

Gundham seemed to take offense to that.

Naruto just sighed. "Again, what's the big deal? I don't understand your fascination with this, Teruteru."

"I have to agree," Nekomaru said. "It's just a piece of clothing. Hardly worth getting excited over."

He had seen plenty of female athletes wear them in the past. It was nothing new to him by this point, so he didn't understand why Teruteru would be so excited.

Ryota was in this camp as well.

"Don't start ruining this for me!" Kazuichi cried out. He looked at Naruto and Nekomaru like they were from another world. "Do you still not understand what this is all about? We're in high school! It's our job, no our _duty_ , to enjoy moments like this! Otherwise, what's there to live for?"

Naruto sighed again. "You just want to perv on Sonia some more, don't you?"

"Yes! Wait, I mean no! It's about the romance!"

Too late to correct yourself, Kazuichi.

Fuyuhiko scowled and turned away. "It's always the fucking same with you. Can't you think of something else for one minute?"

Nagito chuckled. "I think we should appreciate Soda-kun's enthusiasm. It's full of hope."

Kazuichi didn't know if he should be happy or not that Nagito of all people was complimenting him. He decided to just not think about it.

Naruto studied the so-called lucky student for a moment. "You sure you're going to be okay out there, Nagito? No offense, but you don't look built for exercise."

What, with is sickly skin and whatnot.

Nagito smiled widely. Naruto was actually concerned about him? How wonderful! Not that he deserved it of course, but it still felt great.

"I'm sure I'm no match for you or Nidai-kun, but I'll be sure to give it my best."

"I think Hanamura and Mitarai are the ones you should be worried about," Kazuichi said while looking toward said cook and animator.

"Physical exercise is for the weak," Ryota said with disdain. Nothing else needed to be said.

Teruteru combed his hair. "I have no interest in exercise. I am simply here to gaze at the beautiful young women we have in our class. How lucky for us, hmm~"

"Keep talking like that, and Mahiru is going to be all over you," Naruto said and shook his head.

Teruteru giggled. "Mhmhmm. I wouldn't mind that one bit~"

Oh, yeah. There was no saving this guy.

* * *

"NARUTO-CHAN!"

As soon as the boys all stepped outside, Naruto was tackled by none other than Ibuki, who was also in her P.E. uniform. Because of that, and because of the compromising position she and Naruto ended up with after the tackle, Kazuichi was rolling around in jealousy. It's true that his heart belonged to Sonia, but that didn't mean that he was against moments like this happening to him. Why was it only Naruto goddammit!?

Teruteru gently patted Kazuichi, understanding the frustration the mechanic must be feeling right now. He wouldn't mind either Naruto or Ibuki on top of him. Maybe both...yeah, better both.

Naruto looked up at the girl sitting on top of him. It almost looked like she was straddling him, not that Ibuki paid this any mind as she glared down at him. As a side note, Naruto was glad that Kurama had managed to jump off his shoulders before he had crashed to the ground. He didn't want the little guy to be crushed under him.

"Is there a reason why you're tackling me, Ibuki?"

"Nice form by the way," Nekomaru congratulated her as he walked past them.

Ibuki shot him a thumbs up before focusing back down on Naruto. "It's because you made a promise to Ibuki that you have yet to fulfill!"

Ah. That.

Naruto deadpanned. "It's only been a day."

Not even that.

"That's not the point, Naruto-chan. The point is that you should have been rocking with Ibuki last night. Instead, you never showed up!"

Word choice, girl.

"I had work, training with Nekomaru, and had to buy food for Kurama."

And read up more about this world. There was just so much shit in this world that he still did not understand. Point is, his schedule was all filled up yesterday!

Ibuki pouted. "Does our promise mean so little to you, Naruto-chan?"

"Of course not. I was just booked yesterday. But I am free today."

He didn't have work, so that was good.

Ibuki's eyes lit up. "You mean it!?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Pretty sure no one else needs my help anyway."

Sonia did text him about wanting his opinion on the decorations, but that was easy enough. Mahiru and Gundham could handle the spread of information about the event on their own, so he didn't have to worry about that either.

Ibuki grinned from ear to ear. "That settles it then! You are going to be with Ibuki and Hiyoko-chan today after school!"

Naruto knew there was no changing the girl's mind. Besides, he had already promised. He couldn't take it back now.

"Right. Can you get off me now? I think the others are looking at us funny."

Teruteru was giving them winks ever so often while the girls, who had just arrived from their locker room, were looking plain confused.

Sonia, who wore black thigh-high socks with her bloomers, tilted her head in slight fascination. "Is this what we're going to be doing today?"

The image of Sonia on top of him like that, along with her overall appearance right now, was more than enough to knock Kazuichi out with blood shooting out of his nostrils. At least he had a grand old smile on his face as he went out with a literal gush.

"My, my, I don't think Soda-kun was strong enough to handle all of this," Teruteru said in amusement.

Mahiru placed her hands on her hips and proceeded to scold Naruto and Ibuki.

"Don't do stuff like this out in public! Don't you have any shame?"

Naruto simply shrugged. "She tackled me. I claim victim in all of this."

Mikan was kneeling next to him in an instant, checking for injuries. "A-Are you okay!? You're not bleeding, right!?"

"Hahaha, nah. I'm a lot sturdier than I look. This isn't enough to injure me."

Ibuki didn't have much to say about this and got up, allowing Naruto to stand up as well. Kurama hopped back on his shoulders again, glad to see that Naruto wasn't down for the count.

"Jeez, we haven't even started yet and we already have all this commotion," Mahiru said with a sigh.

"Hm, I think that should be expected by this point," Chiaki said softly, feeling a bit out of place without her games.

As Naruto dusted himself off with Mikan's help, their P.E. teacher walked out to the field to join them and Kazuichi managed to regain consciousness with Nagito's and Teruteru's help.

"Man, this sucks," Hiyoko whined. "Why do we have to wear these stupid things again?" She was referring to the bloomers of course.

"I don't know, but it sure is making me veeeeery happy right now," Teruteru admitted while smiling.

"You need to be less open about these things, you idiot," Fuyuhiko said.

Teruteru would never do something like that, though. He was an honest pervert, which was the best kind.

Mikan hid behind Naruto to avoid Teruteru's piercing stare, feeling like that was the best place to be right now. The blond had no problem with this, although he was starting to see just why Kazuichi and Teruteru had been so excited to see the girls in these so-called bloomers. Once again, it was made painfully obvious to him that all the girls in his class were very beautiful. And the amount of skin being shown was just torture.

'I blame Ero-Sennin for this…...'

The man had cursed him from the grave! It was the only rational explanation. And the way Mikan's t-shirt clung to her chest was just making everything even worse.

Or maybe better?

At least Fuyuhiko was also glancing at Peko every few seconds. Not that the swordswoman was even aware of this. Unfortunately, when it came to the important stuff, she couldn't quite catch up.

Their teacher, who happened to be a young woman with dark-short hair, clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Alright, everybody. You already missed the first week of class, so I'd rather not waste any more time here. The more you exercise, the better."

Hiyoko's face was smug. "I get all the exercise I need when I practice my dance routines. You're lucky I even showed up today for this waste of-"

She stopped when Naruto bopped her over the head with his hand.

"You seriously need to get your attitude in check, Hiyoko."

"T-That still hurt, Big Bro!"

"Then don't start insulting the teacher before we even started."

Not that he had any room to talk. Back during his time in the Ninja Academy, he had been notorious for acting out. But in his defense, it was only because he was ignored all the time. He needed to do _something_ to get the teachers' attention, right?

Right.

Hiyoko pouted but gave in. She just wanted to get this over with anyway. She needed to practice some more with Ibuki.

Their teacher looked grateful as she said, "We're going to start with a classic today to really get your blood pumping. We are going to do a sprint medley race."

"A medley race?" Sonia hummed. "What is that exactly?"

"It's basically where we sprint across the field while passing the turn over to another teammate after a given distance," Nekomaru explained. "That's the simple version of it. In recent years, different regions have adopted different rules and forms of this relay race."

"We just have to run, right?" Akane shrugged. "That's easy enough!"

"T-This really isn't my kind of activity," Mikan said from behind Naruto, who chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, Mikan. Just give it your best."

Mikan timidly nodded. Being supported was always a good feeling.

"You guys will break in four teams of four," the teacher said. "I can pick the teams, or you can figure it out by yourself. Your choice."

They all looked at one another. One thing was certain: Naruto, Akane, and Nekomaru _could not_ be on a team together. That just wouldn't be fair to the rest of them.

Akane knew this too and started to smirk. "So we're gonna fight one another, huh? That gets me excited."

Mahiru sighed. "It's not a fight, Owari-san. We're just running."

Deep down, the redhead knew this was not going to be that simple, though. Not when her friends were involved.

The captains were picked first, who were Naruto, Nekomaru, Mahiru, and Sonia who volunteered first. The princess had never been involved in something like this before, and she wanted to make sure she did it right.

The teams came next, and the relay followed suit.

* * *

"Mooooo…...this isn't fair, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto had to turn away from Chiaki's pouting face lest he go down on his knees and apologize for just existing. Like, seriously. It was criminal how cute she looked when she pouted. And it wasn't because he was turning into a sadist or anything!

He wasn't Anko.

Naruto's team consisted of himself, Chiaki, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko who was slumped down next to the tree in the middle of the field. Also Kurama, who wanted to run alongside them. They were meant to be choosing the order they were going to run in, but Naruto had decided to tell Chiaki that all her game ideas were a big no-no first.

He was regretting that decision right now.

"We can't have stupid battleships, you moron," Fuyuhiko said, already seeing how Naruto was about to break. "Do you not realize how expensive and impractical all your ideas are?"

"But, Kuzuryu-kun, you're the one who said nothing was impossible for the Kuzuryu clan. That's why I thought it was possible!"

She had a point there. Fuyuhiko had the decency to blush in embarrassment. His big mouth was the cause of all of this, huh? Figures. He should have known all his boasting would catch up to him eventually.

"So now you get it, it was Fuyuhiko who lied to you," Naruto said while nodding. Chiaki followed along and nodded as well, making Fuyuhiko fumble with several excuses. The tables had turned against him, it seemed.

Mikan simply giggled in amusement. It was always fun to see the others interact with one another.

"So what types of games are allowed?" Chiaki asked, moving along with her next question.

Fuyuhiko h'mphed. "Normal ones. Not stupid crazy ones."

"I say creative ones," Naruto butted in. "Just don't go overboard. Our main goal here is to make sure that all the animals get adopted."

"Hmm, I guess you're right." Chiaki sighed and looked down. "I guess I got too excited. This is the first time I've ever been in charge of something like this. It made me happy."

Naruto could understand that. He could already tell that Chiaki probably didn't have many friends growing up, and that video games were her one major interest. She probably saw that as the one thing she could bring to the table.

The blond couldn't let her spirit get crushed by this. So he thought of another great idea.

"Don't feel down, Chiaki. Tell you what, we can play your games later if you'd like."

The gamer girl was right in front of him with flaring nostrils, her face filled with so much excitement he could almost drown in it. What a turn in her personality, like woah.

"Do you really mean that, Uzumaki-kun!? We can play games together!?"

Naruto tried to put some distance between himself and her face. "Um, y-yeah! We can play as a class. The others won't mind."

Probably.

"I've never been that good at video games," Mikan said, recalling the few times she's actually played. Which were practically zero.

"There's nothing to worry about, Tsumiki-san!" Chiaki turned her attention to the nurse next, who let out an "eep" when Chiaki grabbed her hand. "I can teach you all the secret moves!"

"Y-Yes, thank you!"

Fuyuhiko got up and walked over to Naruto. "You sure changed her mood quickly."

Naruto shrugged. "I figured it was the best way to cheer her up. Besides, I've never played video games before. Makes me curious to see if I'd be any good at them."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "I doubt it. Your one good trait is that you can fight. The rest of your head is just filled up with ramen."

"Still saying crap like that, huh?"

"Hahahaha, am I wrong?"

"Bastard."

The two boys shared a laugh, which made Chiaki and Mikan freeze up for a moment. Fuyuhiko, laughing like this? The yakuza had laughed briefly when he teased Mikan, but this was different. It was more...casual.

Chiaki had to smile at the scene. She was really happy that Naruto was in their class.

* * *

By the end of the period, with a nearly destroyed field, it was Sonia's team who came up in first place. Who would have thought that the princess could run so fast? Ibuki wasn't half bad either. And with Akane and Peko on her team too, they had completely destroyed the others.

Maybe they should have made a rule to not have Akane and Peko on the same team too? Oh well. As a reward for their victory, the girls all got to pet Kurama. The excited look on Peko's face when she got to pet the little fox had made everyone laugh, much to her embarrassment.

At this point, it was already lunchtime, and everyone usually ate lunch together. But Naruto had to excuse himself from that routine as he had something else to take care of today. He wasn't the only one, as Mahiru also excused herself and joined him out in the hallway.

"I'm surprised, Mahiru. Do you have somewhere to go?" Naruto eyed the bento she had on her. She ate Teruteru's food like the rest of them, but not today it seemed.

"A-Ah, yes." Mahiru looked a bit shy. "I actually have a friend in the Reserve Department, and I promised to eat lunch with her today. Since I've been spending all my time with you guys lately, we haven't been able to hang out lately. N-Not that that's a bad thing! I just…..."

She trailed off with a blush, unable to find the right words to explain herself.

Naruto was more focused on something else she'd said. "Reserve Department? What's that?"

Mahiru raised an eyebrow at the question and pushed down her embarrassment. "You've never heard of the Reserve Department?"

"Nope. Old man Tengan never said anything about it. Neither did the headmaster…..."

Mahiru wanted to facepalm. Of course he wouldn't know. Naruto was that kind of guy, after all. Very simple minded about most things.

"Well, the Reserve Department is basically the other half of the school. It's for students who weren't admitted to the Main Course…..."

Mahiru didn't want to say they had no talent or anything like that, even though that's basically what it was. According to the school anyway. But in her heart, Mahiru disagreed with the school on this. She believed her friend had much to offer to the world.

"Huh. I never knew." Naruto didn't understand why the school would do something like that. Wasn't the purpose of this place to bring the best of the best together and to raise them for the nation's future?

'Hmm….maybe there's more to this place than I thought…...'

Naruto put that aside for now. "I see. And this friend can't join the rest of us for lunch?"

"No, the school has a strict possibility against that," Mahiru said. Although she wouldn't mind sneaking her friend over to meet the others one day…...maybe. Since the rule was really annoying.

Naruto was thinking the same thing. If they were students of Hope's Peak, why did it matter that they were from this Reverse Course place? They were all the same.

Kurama licked his cheek, almost in silent agreement.

"Where are you going by the way?" Mahiru suddenly asked. "You're not off to do something weird, are you?"

"Again, your lack of faith in me wounds me, Mahiru."

"And, again, if the shoe fits."

Naruto grumbled. "I'm not doing anything bad. I just have to pick up an order that's waiting for me."

"An order?"

"Yeah…...I sort of had someone make me a new kunai set. He texted me last night saying they were done."

Such speed. Naruto was impressed with Izayoi's progress and was eager to see what the blacksmith had to show him.

Mahiru looked worried by this. "Are you sure you can handle those types of weapons? If something happened to you….."

She didn't want to finish that thought. It was surprising how much she had grown to care about the blond in such a short amount of time, but she did darn it. Even as dumb and as annoying as he could be, Naruto also had many good points about him. So she cared…...about him.

…...

Naruto was confused as he watched the girl walk off with her head down, not waiting for his answer. Did he say something bad? And was her face red?

'I feel like I misunderstood something here…...'

Girls were just weird.

* * *

Ruruka didn't look happy to see Naruto when said boy walked into the classroom she and Izayoi were in. That unhappy expression shifted to a more cheerful one when she saw Kurama, however.

"Is that a little fox!? Where did you get it!? Can I pet it? Can I buy it!?"

Unlike when he received attention from Mikan or the other girls in Naruto's class, Kurama didn't seem to enjoy the attention Ruruka was giving him right. He shrunk away, and looked ready to pounce on the girl. Maybe it was because she was a stranger to him. The little fox already knew everyone in Naruto's class was friendly, but this was new territory.

"His name is Kurama, and no he's not for sale." Naruto was offended that she would even suggest that.

Izayoi stood by a box on one of the desks. The box was pretty big, but Naruto was more interested in what was inside.

"That weird friend of yours called me," Izayoi told him as he made to open the box. "He said that I should do a specific design for your order. That's why it took me a bit longer to finish these."

"Weird friend?"

"Yeah…...Komaeda something. I don't even know how he got my number either. He said he just typed a random number in, and that it so happened to be mine. Not that I believe him. That's just stupid."

Naruto just stared at him. Nagito was the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , so that wasn't totally out of the realm of possibility. Right? Luck could be really scary. More importantly, what the heck did he mean by "specific design"?

Izayoi answered his unasked question by opening the box and showing him his new kunai set. There were around twenty total, and they were a lot more detailed than his old ones, resembling Izayoi's preferred aesthetics. Not just that, but they were all outlined with orange marks with a fox head placed in the middle of each kunai.

"Woah." Despite himself, Naruto had to gasp a little when he saw all of this. He picked one of them and gave it a few swings, seeing how it felt in his hand. It was a bit heavier than his old kunai since they were longer and thicker , but he could get used to them soon enough. He just needed practice with them.

Kurama seemed to be fascinated by the weapon as well, looking at it intently.

"What do you think?" Izayoi asked, looking a bit eager to hear what his costumer had to say about his product. By someone who actually used them too, not just a collector.

"It's…..pretty good," Naruto said after a few more test swings. They weren't so much bigger that he couldn't adapt to them. He was sure he could keep them in his new trench coat with no problem.

A small smile settled over Izayoi's face. He was definitely glad to hear that.

"If you ever use them in real combat, I'll want to hear your thoughts about them," he added.

Naruto was okay with that. "What about my kunai? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I was able to study it, yes. It's from a different alloy than mine. It seems to be more for mass production than quality."

Naruto had to mentally nod. His kunai set was nothing special in his world. They had been just like any other regular kunai. He had never been one for specialized weapons. That was more Sasuke's and Tenten's thing. No, ninjutsu was his specialty.

Ruruka looked annoyed to be left out of this conversation. "That's it, right? Your business is done?"

Naruto looked at Izayoi and shrugged. "If he's still okay with just having my old kunai as payment, then yeah. I guess we are…..."

Izayoi had nothing to say. He was looking forward to hearing back from Naruto after the blond used his weapons in battle. He didn't need any money for this.

"You can see yourself out then." Ruruka grabbed Izayoi by the sleeve and began to pull him out of the classroom. "Yoi-chan and I have a lunch date we need to get to."

Lunch date? Were these two…...together-together? Huh.

Naruto didn't bother thinking too much of it as he waved them off, with neither returning the wave. That suited him just fine. They weren't exactly friends, after all. His eyes then went back to the box, a sense of excitement rising in him. His weaponry was now officially complete. Now, he just had to get more acquainted with all his new gear and master his new fighting style.

Everything was going great.

* * *

There was a distinct lack of afternoon classes for the 77th class that day. It all had to do with a little scheme hatched up by none other than Chiaki herself.

Naruto only found out just how serious Chiaki took his words earlier when he returned to the classroom after lunch. Koichi was kicking back and relaxing with his flask in hand as the others were all huddled up near a huge TV.

Wait, when did the huge TV get here? And what was it for?

"What's going on here?"

The others turned to him, and they all noticed the box he had right away. Nagito undershoot what it was immediately.

"I see Izayoi-kun managed to fulfill your request. Was everything to your liking?"

"Izayoi?" Hiyoko looked at the two boys. "Who the heck is that?"

"It's a senpai of ours. He was working on Uzumaki-kun's new weapons. Only someone like the **Ultimate Blacksmith** could be worthy of accomplishing a task like that."

Koichi paled at this. "You're bringing new weapons into the school?"

The hole Peko made yesterday was bad enough. But now there was going to be more of that going around? Crap. Just crap.

Speaking of which, the hole was still in here. It hadn't been patched up yet.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Calm down. I'm not going to be using them here. Just whenever I practice with Peko-chan."

"I see." Peko nodded. "You're going for your own weapon of choice now. It only makes sense."

Naruto had gotten down the fundamentals of swordsmanship rather quickly. He was all about learning with a hands-on approach, not with lectures or anything like that.

"Oooooooohhh, shiny~" Ibuki poked the box. "Can we see what's inside?"

"Sure." Naruto had no problem with that.

He opened the box and showed them his new kunai set.

"Hmm, it seems Izayoi-kun took my advice," Nagito said with a smile after seeing the weapons.

"How did you even know that I would like this?" Naruto asked him.

Nagito smiled. "Oh, it was just a feeling."

Just a feeling, huh.

"These weapons are beautiful," Sonia said as she admired them. "Perhaps I should have him make some for me as well!"

Kazuichi chuckled nervously. "U-Um, Miss Sonia, are you sure that's a good idea? These things could kill a person, you know."

"I am aware. But there's no need to worry!" Sonia flexed her arm in excitement. "As part of my country's educational curriculum, everyone knows how to handle and operate dangerous weaponry."

That was…...something else right there. Sonia's country sure had a wild idea about what kids needed to learn in school.

"Ha, I look forward to seeing what you can do with these," Nekomaru said with a large grin.

Naruto returned it. "For sure! With Peko-chan's help, I'll be able to use these in no time!"

Peko crossed her arms with a challenging look on her face. "That is if you can beat me first."

"I'll take that challenge!"

Peko expected him too. It was one of the reasons why she enjoyed training with him so much.

Mahiru sweatdropped. "It's like they want to kill each other or something."

"Weapons are boring anyway," Akane said, not really interested in the kunai. "It's all about beating each other with your fists!"

"You just have to be so violent all the time, huh?" Kazuichi said, backing away from the gymnast.

Koichi raised his flask. "As long as you don't hurt yourself with those things, do what you like. Also, don't destroy any more walls, okay? Stuff like that doesn't look good on my record."

None of them really much cared for that anyway.

Naruto looked over to the TV. "What are you guys even doing in here anyway? And what's with the giant TV?"

Kazuichi started to smirk. "Do you like it? It was built by me, ya know. It's the best TV you'll find anywhere! It only took me an hour to finish amping it up!"

"Nanami-san suggested we should play video games this afternoon," Mikan informed him. "You know, like you said earlier…..."

Chiaki was smiling as she said, "I brought over a bunch of games from my collection. I figured it was a great way to relax. We're all working hard for the festival, after all."

Gundham h'mphed. "I suppose that is true. The key to defeating your enemy is to make sure you're well-rested."

Was he trying to be a war expert or something?

"I don't mind giving this a shot," Naruto said. It was going be his first time participating in something like this, but he was up for it.

"Whatever lets me sleep some more~" Koichi said in a sing-song voice.

Mahiru placed a hand over her face, looking exasperated. "How did that guy become a teacher again?"

No one could answer that. Not even Koichi, who happily drank more of his alcohol. The man was happy being himself, and that's all that mattered.

"Let's play some games!" Ibuki exclaimed.

Time for the fun to start.

* * *

Naruto soon discovered that these video games were something else. It was like you were submerged in another new world, all the while you were resting comfortably in your chair or with friends. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, and he was in awe.

He was able to play in the first group, which consisted of himself, Kazuichi, Nagito, and Fuyuhiko. They were playing some board game, in which the goal was to raise as much money as possible. You did this through a variety of different ways, like owning property, trading said property with your rivals, or even trying to get more money from said rivals every time they were on your property. At least, those were the basic rules.

"This feels like we're businessmen or something," Naruto said as Kurama watched the game over his shoulder.

Kazuichi chuckled. "If that's true, then it means I'm better than all of you at it."

As it turned out, Kazuichi was the one doing the best out of all of them. Somehow.

"You're only doing so good because you had a good start," Fuyuhiko said through a scowl. Bastard had managed to get some good starting turns. That was the only reason he was ahead of them.

Nagito laughed softly. "Yes, but I'm really falling behind, aren't I?"

"And here I thought these types of games would be right up your alley," Fuyuhiko remarked.

"Hmm, maybe my luck isn't that great."

Kazuichi snickered. "You can say that again. I'm totally gonna win this!"

Fuyuhiko suddenly sweatdropped when he noticed a message appear on the screen. "I think your tune's about to change…..."

Naruto had to watch how Kazuichi practically lost all his earnings over the course of one turn…...while Nagito gained them all. And then some.

Said lucky boy just smiled some more. "I guess I am lucky, after all."

Kazuichi practically cried as he went bankrupt. "That's just not fair! Why does this shit always happen to me!?"

Nagito was like a bad luck charm to him.

"How the hell is that even possible?" Fuyuhiko said in disdain.

Naruto didn't know. But from the looks on everyone's faces, this wasn't a common occurrence within the game.

Damn.

* * *

"You're not going to join in, Mikan?"

"No, I'd rather be next to you instead…..."

Naruto didn't mind as he sat in the back while the next four went up. Kurama had decided to stay up front with the Four Devas while Gundham, Sonia, Ryota, and Chiaki took their turns. They were in the midst of some racing game, which was a totally different experience from the first game.

The possibilities were endless, huh?

Mikan was seated next to him, with Fuyuhiko taking the other side. "Heh, looks like we didn't do so bad."

Naruto wasn't sure. Nagito pretty much won with that one turn, leaving the rest of them in the dust. At least they hadn't lost all their assets like Kazuichi had, though. That was just brutal.

Speaking of the mechanic, he was sulking in another part of the classroom while Koichi napped in the back. Damn lazy bastard.

"I never thought I'd ever be playing video games like this," Fuyuhiko said. "Especially not with a bunch of weirdos like you."

"I'm pretty sure you're just as weird as us," Naruto retorted.

Fuyuhiko chuckled at that. "Yeah, you're probably right." He saw Peko smiling from where she was seated, which just made him happier. This is what he had always wanted to see. Not having her act as some tool or any of that bullshit. Just as normal high schoolers.

Mikan silently watched the two boys. It was just like before. She could totally tell that something had changed between them. They were…...more friendly now, more at ease with one another. A part of her wanted to ask, but she decided not to. It would probably just be troublesome for her to get in the way.

"Urgh."

Up front, Gundham suddenly grimaced and dropped his controller as Chiaki beat him to the finish line.

"It appears that this is my loss…..." His face was stoic, but it was clear that he wasn't happy with this result.

"I don't think you should take it so personally," Teruteru said while patting him on the back.

Gundham decided to ignore him. He was a bit of a sore loser like that.

After that, more and more people took their turns while everyone else watched, talking and having a grand time. Teruteru even came and prepared some snacks for them, which just made things all the better.

Before long, the end of the school day came, with Koichi still passed out in the back.

"Why do I even bother?" Mahiru glared at the man.

Hiyoko looked at the man like he was trash. "I think you're wasting your breath with this guy, Big Sis. He always smells like alcohol too."

Sonia tried to be the understanding one and said, "Some people are who they are…...I suppose."

"Pretty sure that changes nothing," Naruto said while grabbing his bag.

"The day's over, so let it be already." Fuyuhiko addressed the whole class. "We still have to finish our preparations, remember?"

"That is true." Mahiru sighed a bit. "There are just so many cute pictures, I don't know which ones to print out…..."

Sounded hard.

"Do we have a location for the festival?" Ryota asked Fuyuhiko. "Or are we still waiting on that?"

"Yeah, we got one. It's a park not far from here. They have this huge fountain in the middle, almost like a plaza. We should be able to fit everything in there."

Sonia's eyes sparkled. "With the location, I can be better prepared with what decorations to choose. This is going to be great!"

Fuyuhiko smirked somewhat. "If you need extra hands, just tell me. I'll get some guys to help you." He glanced over to Chiaki. "You too…...and remember, no crazy shit."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Chiaki pouted. She didn't need to be told twice. She wasn't a little kid. She knew what to do now.

"And you're coming with us for today~" Naruto was suddenly pulled by his tie by none other than the excited Ibuki who dragged him out of the classroom. "We are going to create the best band, whoohooooo!"

"Don't just leave me behind, idiot!" Hiyoko cried out as she was forced to run after the duo with Kurama right behind her.

"Huh, what an odd sight that was," Nekomaru said offhandedly. A lolita and a fox, chasing after two teens. Hmm, yeah. It was pretty odd indeed.

"I don't think anything counts as 'normal' around here," Kazuichi said while scratching his cheek.

Peko just closed her eyes. She knew Naruto would contact her later about their practice. For now, she just needed to focus on helping the others.

Mikan was having similar thoughts as the group started to scatter to their respective tasks until only Teruteru and Nagito remained.

"It seems like you weren't able to ask Uzumaki-kun what you wanted to know," Nagito said with his arms crossed. "That is a shame, as I was quite curious to know the answer as well."

Teruteru didn't look depressed by this at all, though. "There's no need to worry. Even if he's busy today, he'll be working tomorrow. I'm sure I can ask him my question then."

"Hmm…...would you mind if I tagged along as well?"

"Hohohoho, getting attached to me already? Don't worry, Komaeda-kun. I can love you and Uzumaki-kun equally~"

Nagito laughed. "Hahaha, I'll leave that to your imagination."

Teruteru was more than happy to do so.

"Hmm, still, I'm going to be very curious to see what Uzumaki-kun's answer will be," Nagito said, mostly to himself.

Indeed, tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.

* * *

Naruto's bag was like buried treasure to Kurama who began to rummage through the books and other stuff the blond carried inside. The little fox needed to see what else laid hidden in here. There might even be a snack for him inside! He could only dream for that to be the case.

While he did that, Naruto read Peko's text message to him.

 _I will have your tools with me. See you at practice._

Straight and to the point. So Peko-like.

If Naruto was someone else, he might be terrified at the notion of Peko being excited to practice her skills on him. But instead, he was simply happy that he didn't have to go back to the classroom to get his new ninja tools. That would have just been troublesome.

With that squared away, he pocketed his phone and focused on the task at hand, which was…...well, he had no idea what it was. Ibuki had simply dragged him into the music room, where she and Hiyoko were now setting up on stage by the illustrious piano.

"This place isn't so bad," he said as he looked around.

Hiyoko heard him and huffed. "It's pretty dull if you ask me. It needs more decorations and cute lights!"

Sometimes, it was hard to tell that the dancer was the same age as him.

"The dark atmosphere gives Ibuki plenty of inspiration, though." Ibuki began to play several notes on her guitar. "It'll be perfect for the upcoming concert!"

Hiyoko seemed to enjoy the sound. "Dark music is usually pretty dull, but you play some good stuff!"

"Hehehe, to be praised by Hiyoko-chan like this…...it's so embarrassing~"

Ibuki definitely enjoyed the compliment, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Hiyoko's praise was rare, so if you got it, you should hold on to it for dear life. You might not get it again.

"So what exactly do guys need me for?" Naruto asked and stepped forward, both hands in his pockets. "I don't know much about music, so I don't know what I can help with."

"That's understandable. You don't look like the sensible type," Hiyoko teased him.

Naruto took it in stride. The little blonde already knew that music wasn't his forte.

"Tsk, tsk. Ibuki is disappointed in you, Naruto-chan." Ibuki crossed her arms and shook her head. "You don't need to be an expert to appreciate music! You could understand Ibuki's music when you first heard it, right?"

"Uh….."

No, not really. He had been confused, more than anything. Hell, he had no idea what an electric guitar was before coming to this world. Hiyoko's dancing had captivated him, though.

"Ibuki suspects you're thinking something bad about her."

"No, I'm not!" Damn. This girl was sharp.

"But Ibuki can understand." The girl sighed, which was rare for her. "The others in Ibuki's band couldn't understand either."

"Your band?" This was a first. Naruto had never heard of the girl having a band before.

Ibuki nodded. "Yes. Ibuki was in a band before coming to Hope's Peak. But we split up because they wanted to do something totally super lame. Just because everyone else was doing it! How lamer can you get!? It's like ultra super mega lame!"

That's a lot of lame to go around. Naruto could get the gist of what she was saying, though.

"You're okay with being yourself, aren't you?"

"But of course!" Ibuki beamed brightly. "What's the fun in being the same way as everyone else? Like Hiyoko-chan says, we all need our own identity! Like Japan!"

"D-Don't bring me into this!" Hiyoko cried out, embarrassed to be quoted like this.

Ibuki gave her a wink. "Hehehe, you're just so adorable~"

"N-No…..."

What is his? Was Ibuki actually making Hiyoko too embarrassed to talk back? What an amazing sight!

"Aaaaaanyway, we are not here to talk about all this boring stuff!" Ibuki turned back to the Uzumaki. "We are here to discuss Naruto-chan's future in the band!"

Hold up, what?

"What are you talking about, Ibuki?" Naruto felt like he was being set up here.

"Like I saaaaaaid, we are here to pick out an instrument for you, Naruto-chan! That way, you can rock out with Ibuki in her band!"

"Hey, when did this become _your_ band!?" Hiyoko glared at Ibuki. "We both decided to have Big Bro join us, so don't take the spotlight for yourself!"

"Jeez, don't you get it? You're both part of Ibuki's grand harem now! Hehehehe!"

"Y-You…..!" Hiyoko seemed too embarrassed to say anything else. Even Naruto had to take a step back at Ibuki's proclamation.

"Jeez, you guys act too serious!" Ibuki shook her head. "Ibuki is disappointed in both of you!"

This conversation was going all over the place, wasn't it?

"Anyway, I've never once played an instrument," Naruto said, bringing the conversation back to focus. He needed to get his mind away from that harem comment. "So having me perform with you guys is a bit….."

"You don't have to worry about that!" Ibuki cut in with another wink. "As long as you feel the love, you should be able to rock, no problemo!"

"I think you're making this sound a lot easier than it actually is….."

"H'mph, I think you can do it," Hiyoko said as she looked away with a small blush. "If this idiot can play really well, then you should be able to do the same too."

Naruto scratched his cheek and blushed a little too. "Thanks, Hiyoko. That means a lot."

"Ooooooohhhh, Ibuki can just feel the love!" the musician exclaimed while raising her head. "But it's like Ibuki is being pushed out of her own harem, so you should stop!"

"Stop talking about that already!" Hiyoko shouted, blushing harder.

Naruto had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Ibuki knew exactly what to say to get Hiyoko embarrassed. It was glorious.

"Well, if you guys think I can really do it, then I don't mind," Naruto said. He was always up for trying new things, after all. "So what instrument do you have in mind for me?"

"Pointing~" Ibuki pointed her fingers to a darkened corner of the classroom before it lit up. Did they have this set up beforehand or what? Ah, it didn't matter. It was there that Naruto noticed a set of drums, ready to be played.

"We had this brought here yesterday," Ibuki said with a proud look. "You were supposed to start playing then, but you skipped out on us!"

"Heh, yeah. Sorry about that."

"The past is the past! Now you can start rocking!"

Naruto walked up to the drums, inspecting all the different parts. It was the first time he was seeing one of these things in person.

"It's a drum set, which will make you our drummer!" Ibuki exclaimed. "Even if you're a novice, you'll be able to play the drums in no time! It's real easy. Isn't that just the best?"

"To you, maybe," Hiyoko muttered while she kept her eyes on Naruto. She still thought this was a dumb idea. It would be better if Naruto was dancing alongside her, not playing the stupid drums.

'He probably couldn't handle that, though.'

She laughed in her mind, but it didn't carry the usual spitefulness. It would just be funny, to see Naruto trying master the same dance as her. But also cool too, in its own way.

"Since you've gone this far, I definitely can't run away and say no," Naruto said after giving the set of drums a once over. He had no idea what it could do, but it did look like it could be a lot of fun.

While Ibuki cheered at her plan coming together so wonderfully, Hiyoko was in a more contemplative mood.

"You're always like that, aren't you? Always trying to make us happy, even if you don't know what you're getting into."

Naruto looked up to Hiyoko on the stage. "Hm? I wouldn't put it like that exactly. I'm just doing what I want."

Which was the truth. He was making the best of his new life, and he was doing that by spending it with everyone else.

Hiyoko raised her hands to her face, which were covered by the sleeves of her kimono. "But you're really nice. No one else has ever been this nice to me without wanting something in return."

What the heck? Where did that come from? Even Ibuki was looking confused.

"I have no idea why people would want to do that, but I really am not looking to get anything from you," Naruto reassured her. Then he thought about it. "Well, that's not entirely true. I do want your help, I guess. But that's only if you decide to help me."

"Heck yeah, she's coming with us!" Ibuki started to play on her guitar. "For world peace, Hiyoko-chan has to be with us!"

It looked like Ibuki didn't need to be convinced about joining him in fulfilling his dream. She was already that determined, huh?

"I-I guess so…..." At that moment, Hiyoko looked very vulnerable, but also very happy. It was a side Naruto didn't think the girl had, but he was being proven wrong right then and there.

"Are you scared about something?" Naruto asked her, trying to understand the girl better.

"I-It's not about being scared," Hiyoko began, trying to find the right words. "More like…..hesitant? Everyone always wants to get to me first, because of my family. That's why…..to get them first…...but here…..."

She couldn't get the rest out.

Naruto was suddenly standing next to her on the stage, which startled Hiyoko but not Ibuki. She was already used to Naruto's impressive speed.

"You're not speaking very clearly, which is unusual for you," he said to her, with Ibuki nodding in the background. A part of Ibuki did have to wonder if she should be hearing this, but Hiyoko hadn't made any attempts to make her go away. So it was probably okay?

"Everyone around me has always been the same," Hiyoko explained, finding her voice again. "They've always tried to threatened me, playing mean tricks that nearly killed me. Even from my own family, it's been like that for a long time. Only my father is different…..he's sorta like y-you. He's always nice and doesn't expect anything in return. He's just...there for me."

"That sounds like a good father," Naruto said softly as he placed a hand over her head. Hiyoko didn't seem to mind and actually appreciated the gesture. It was the same feeling she got when she was around her father. It just made her feel safe.

"I'm glad you could tell me that, but you don't have to worry, Hiyoko. Everyone is here for you, not just me."

Ibuki nodded in agreement. "No one can hurt Hiyoko-chan while Ibuki is around!"

Yeah, something like that.

Hiyoko stuck out her tongue at the girl, but it was more playful than anything else. The tears in her eyes proved as much.

"Whatever! Like you could protect me."

"Awww, man, and she's being mean again," Ibuki said as she pouted. "Ibuki thought we were going to see a new a person blossom in you today."

"H-H'mph, don't expect anything crazy from me," Hiyoko said while looking away. "I-I just had a m-moment of weakness! Nothing what I said before really matters, so forget it!"

Ibuki had to giggle. "Hehehe, a flustered Hiyoko is pretty cute too."

"W-Will you shut up already, jeez! I'll knock you out if I have to!"

Naruto joined Ibuki and started to laugh with her, which just made Hiyoko all the more embarrassed.

"We're supposed to be practicing, remember!? So let's get to that!" She couldn't handle all this teasing anymore.

"I know, I know." Naruto smiled at her. "But thanks for sharing more about yourself, Hiyoko. I can't say much about your family, but you can always trust us."

"We're in a band now!" Ibuki added. "All of us! It's the music that brings us together! And that includes you too, Naruto-chan! You don't ever have to be depressed again!"

Huh. So she had noticed his troubled feelings from before, had she? Ibuki was more clever than he had given her credit for.

"I guess you can also be pretty insightful, huh?" Naruto said while grinning.

"Tehehe, but of course~" Ibuki said in another one of her poses. "Ibuki is the goddess of music, who can help you anytime you need it. Don't ever resist turning to her for help. She'll fix you right away. That's a guarantee~"

"H'mph, idiot," Hiyoko huffed, but she did smile a little. "You can't even help yourself!"

"Urgh, your tsundere status is making Ibuki very excited!"

"Enough with that! I'm not a tsundere!"

Naruto had to smile as the two girls began to bicker with one another. Even though they had gotten completely off track and weren't practicing at all, Naruto was glad that he had come here today. He had come to understand both girls a lot better through this little moment.

Hiyoko, with her insecure and lonely feelings.

Ibuki, with her more intuitive and supportive nature.

As Ibuki said, they were there for one another. Through music or whatever, it didn't matter. It was all the same.

They were friends, and they didn't need to be alone anymore.

* * *

 **I feel like Ibuki's free time events pretty much lead to showing that the girl is more instinctive than people give her credit for, and that in her own way, she can be pretty supportive too. That's basically what I was trying to show by having her there when Hiyoko finally expressed herself more to Naruto. I hope my intent there was clear enough.**

 **That's all I've got. More bonding, new weapons, the usual. I hope it was enjoyable.**

 **Till next time.**


	13. The Tastiest Ingredient

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Danganronpa.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:  
** **The Tastiest Ingredient**

"Hmm…..so that's the Reserve Department over there…..doesn't look too different to me."

"B-But the boys are wearing suits…..and the girl's uniform is different too."

The skirt was of a different color, being black rather than brown.

"Hm, that's right. Good eye, Mikan!"

"Hehehe….."

While Mikan giggled softly at being praised and having her head patted some more, Naruto continued watching more of the Reserve Course students trickle into their school building, which was set apart from the main building on campus.

After what Mahiru had said yesterday, the blond had gotten curious about this "Reserve Course" and decided to check it out for myself. He had bumped into Mikan along the way. After telling her what he was up to, she had asked to come along, and here they were.

There were some murmurs and pointing from the Reserve Course students, but Naruto just chalked it up to them being curious. It was the same way at work. With news of **Ultimates** hanging around in the ramen shop, more and more customers were showing up just to see if they could spot them. The old man had been extremely pleased by this. It meant more money for him, after all. Greedy old man.

Naruto really didn't understand this behavior, though. It's not like they were aliens or anything. They were people too. All of his new friends had incredible skills to be sure, but that shouldn't warrant this kind of reaction from other people. But then again, he had always been fascinated with his dad before he knew who he was. So on _some_ level, maybe he could understand it a bit.

Just maybe.

That, or maybe it was because he and Mikan were on top of a tree, standing on one of its branches and watching them from up there. Naruto already had a pretty good idea that most people in this dimension weren't like him. They didn't have his physical prowess. Akane, Nekomaru, and Peko were the exceptions to the rule. So to them, jumping to the top of a tree like it was an everyday occurrence was quite literally from another world.

And Naruto could do much more than that.

Mikan clung to Naruto's side. It was for balance and comfort. She didn't seem to enjoy the stares too much. It made her feel like they were all judging her, a feeling she detested. It reminded her of some painful memories she'd rather forget.

"I guess we should be getting back," Naruto said, looking over toward the main building. "Class is about to start for us too, and I don't want Mahiru yelling at me for being late."

She might be the most "normal" out of all of them, but she sure knew how to keep them in line.

Mikan giggled at that. "Koizumi-san does love to check up on you."

'Check up,' sure…..more like imprisonment.

"She enjoys it far too much if you ask me."

"Maybe it's because you're too unpredictable sometimes, Naruto-san."

"Hah, that's true. But I don't cause too much trouble. Not like when I was younger anyway. Mahiru would already be insane if she met the younger me."

Mikan looked curious at that. "You were different?"

She couldn't picture Naruto any other way.

"Yeah, you could say that." Naruto thought back to all the mischief he used to get into during his Academy days, and even before that too. "I used to prank people a lot. I was real good at it too. I kept people on their toes, always making them be on the defensive. No one came close to my greatness. I was the pranking king of my village. You might even be able to call me the Ultimate Prankster if you want!"

Mikan smiled. "Sure, that sounds pretty cool."

Naruto was very happy to hear that. He held his pranks in high regard. Not that he had done any in a while. His life hadn't allowed him to focus on stuff like that. It was still fun to think back on those days, though. It was a simpler time, but also a darker time as well. He would rather forget about the latter.

Naruto scooped up Mikan in his arms, bridal style, and jumped down from the tree branch. Mikan enjoyed being this close to the blond, but she kept her excitement to herself as Naruto let her down once they were on solid ground again. Kurama decided to poke his head out from inside Naruto's bag to see what all the commotion was about. He did a quick scan of his surroundings, his ears twitching. Once he was satisfied, he went back inside. The little fox seemed to enjoy being in there now, for whatever reason. Naruto didn't question it.

"By the way, Naruto-san, why were you so curious about the Reserve Course anyway?" Mikan asked. The girl was more bold when speaking to Naruto now. She still stuttered now and then, but it wasn't as bad. Maybe she was growing more confident around him? She was still a nervous wreck around other people, though. For Naruto, it was an interesting contrast to see.

"I just wanted to see what it was all about," Naruto answered. "No one told me that place existed, so I got curious. You don't want to know more, Mikan?"

The nurse shook her head. "Not really, no." She didn't want to be mean, but she honestly held no interest for the Reserve Course or the people there. That was probably true for most **Ultimates** as well.

"Mahiru said she had a friend there," Naruto added with a hum. "It'd be cool if she could hang out with us, but apparently they aren't allowed to go in the main building."

Mikan had heard something similar, about that rule. She didn't know any specifics really. But again, she didn't really give it much thought. It wasn't her place, and she didn't know anyone from the Reserve Course anyway. Thinking on it now, the nurse could definitely see how unfair and irrational the rule was. The school chose to enforce it, though, so there wasn't much she could do about it. That said, she didn't think that would satisfy her friend.

The two arrived at the front gates of the main building, where they found Fuyuhiko standing there with his arms crossed.

"About time you showed up," the yakuza said, looking a bit miffed. Maybe it was because he had been waiting for them for a while? "What are you two doing? On a date?"

Cue blushing from Mikan and a confused head tilt from Naruto.

"No. We were just checking out the Reserve Course together."

"The Reserve Course?" Fuyuhiko had heard enough about that place to last a life time. A certain sister of his had seen to that. "Why the sudden interest in that place?"

"I just wanted to check it out," Naruto said and shrugged. "It looks pretty normal."

The students were 'normal,' so yeah.

"Whatever." Fuyuhiko decided to leave that topic there. "I wanted to ask you something, and it felt more appropriate to do it in person than over the phone."

Naruto was curious. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing like that. The old man just wanted to see if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

Naruto was taken back by the invitation. It wasn't everyday you were asked to have dinner with the leader of a yakuza group. Hell, this was _the_ yakuza leader as far as the world was concerned.

"What brought this on? You're not trying to kill me, are you?"

It was a joke, but still.

Fuyuhiko scoffed. "If he wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. Having a dinner would just be a waste of time." That was reassuring…..but at the same time, it wasn't. "It's more like…...he took a liking to you, I guess. And he wanted to talk to you some more. That's what he told me anyway. Can't say I understand his curiosity. You're 50% ramen and 50% idiot."

"Ha-ha-ha, you're so original, Fuyuhiko." Naruto's sarcasm was so heavy, you could cut it with a knife.

Fuyuhiko just smirked. If it worked, it worked. Especially when his description was so accurate.

"You're named after ramen too, so you know I'm right."

"You make it sound like that's a problem."

Naruto would have corrected Fuyuhiko on the meaning of his name, but he was going to stand on the side of ramen!

Fuyuhiko simply shook his head at this. 'Goddamn idiot.'

Mikan watched the two boys in silence, finally getting some context about their behavior toward one another recently. If Naruto had met Fuyuhiko's family and was on good terms with them, it was only natural that the friendship between the two of them would deepen. She understood that now.

How nice. Of course, Mikan could never introduce her family to Naruto. Not ever. She just couldn't bear to let that happen.

"Dinner, huh?" It wasn't hard for Naruto to come to a decision. "I've been practicing real hard all week. I guess I can take Friday off."

Ibuki wouldn't get mad…..probably.

Fuyuhiko didn't show it, but he was glad to see the blond accept the invitation. Not something he could do before coming to this school. He then glanced at Mikan for a second and started to smirk again.

"The old man also said that if you had a date, you could bring them along too."

"Huh?" Naruto's face displayed pure confusion, not understanding where this was coming from. There was no way he could have someone like that. He hadn't been in this world for that long, so for someone to even be remotely interested in him would be far-fetched at best.

Mikan gave Fuyuhiko a pleading look as she started to blush. He couldn't be teasing her at a time like this. Especially when he was being so obvious about it!

Fuyuhiko mentally snorted. As if the idiot would catch on like this. He was far too oblivious for something like that.

"Just think about it. I'll see you guys in the classroom." The yakuza gave them a short wave before walking off toward the main hall, all the while shaking his head at his friends' situation.

"I swear, people are always saying some weird stuff to me," Naruto muttered as he scratched his head.

"R-Really?" Mikan started to fiddle with her thumbs. She had managed to hear him. "What kind of stuff?"

"Nothing you have to worry about. Just…..don't let Kazuichi trick you with his weird comments. That guy is always thinking up random stuff to annoy me with."

That didn't give Mikan much to go off, but she still nodded. She didn't speak to Kazuichi much, but she had a real good understanding of the kind of guy he was. Sonia was always saying how weird he was, now that she thought about it. Not that Mikan knew too much about that either.

Anyway, the two followed Fuyuhiko inside the building and made their way to the classroom, where a hungover Koichi was waiting for them. The others were all just staring at the man with the same pitiful expressions.

"D-Don't do that now," Koichi said while waving his hand. He couldn't even raise his head, not unless he wanted to throw up. "I-I don't deserve all of this disdain, right Uzumaki?"

Naruto, who stood by the doorway with Mikan next to him, sighed. "At this point, I think we're better off with a log as a teacher."

"I second that," Mahiru deadpanned.

Koichi grimaced. Whether it was from Naruto's words or the hangover he was experiencing, it was hard to tell.

"You guys don't r-respect me, huh?"

Was there any reason to?

Shaking his head, Naruto found his seat next to Sonia while Mikan went to hers.

"We're not going to sit here with this guy, are we?" Kazuichi asked with a hand over his cap. "No offense, but I'd rather be working on the setup for the festival."

It got his hands dirty, and he could spend time with Miss Sonia. It was a double win for him!

"H'mph, for once, you've said something worth a shit," Fuyuhiko remarked from his seat.

Behind him, Peko nodded. "It does seem more prudent for us to do that if we want to meet our schedule."

"Y-You guys know I-I can hear you, right?" Koichi asked weakly, but no one bothered to respond. Sonia did mentally apologize to the man, though. She was nice like that.

"Ibuki's performance is going to be the best the world has ever seen!" Ibuki announced with a proud look. "That is why we should skip class for more practice!"

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "It's only because I'm helping you. Don't forget that!"

Those two were the same as always.

"We should go then." Naruto began to rise from his seat, the others following suit. "We should probably do the same tomorrow. No reason to meet in class."

Not when a hungover middle-aged man was waiting for them.

"I think that's for the best too," Peko said, nodding again.

The others were all in agreement as well and began to scatter for their individual jobs.

"W-Wait!" Koichi somehow managed to raise his head, but all that did was make his hangover worse, his eyes blurring.

And then, the vomiting came. There was so much vomit.

For a second, Mikan looked liked she wanted to help him, to check if he was okay. Sonia pushed her out of the classroom, though, so she didn't get a chance to do anything.

…..okay, so maybe Sonia wasn't _that_ nice.

Naruto was also being pushed, but not by Sonia but by an excited Ibuki. He had more drum lessons waiting for him today.

* * *

"R-Really? Y-You're playing…...t-the drums?"

"If you're going to laugh, then no pictures!"

"I-I'm sorry! I-It's just so f-funny!"

"What's so funny about it!?"

"I-I mean….you in the drums? Pfft-ahahaha!"

"Alright, that does it!"

Hiyoko and Ibuki watched from the stage in the music room as Naruto grabbed Mahiru into a headlock. It was a playful headlock, but with Naruto's strength, there was no way the photographer was getting out of it.

"Hahaha! I-I'm sorry, okay!" Mahiru couldn't speak without letting out her laughter, even in this situation. It was the first time she had ever been this close to a boy, so this feeling was somewhat foreign to her. The reddening of her cheeks was proof of that.

"If you're still laughing, that tells me you're not sorry!" Naruto's blush stemmed from his embarrassment. It wasn't his fault that he looked "weird" playing the drums! It was the first time he was doing something like this, so Mahiru should cut him so slack!

"Hahahaha, you guys seem to be having fun."

The four **Ultimates** all paused and turned to the entrance of the music room just as Nagito walked inside, his face adorned with another one of his smiles.

Hiyoko felt her skin crawl a little bit. This guy…..the only one of her classmates who still scared her a little bit. Fuyuhiko wasn't threatening anymore. The yakuza had already shown himself to be one of them. But Nagito was different. He was…..weird. Just plain weird. Naruto didn't seem to mind him, which was the only reason Hiyoko was willing to tolerate his presence.

"What are you doing here, Komaeda? We're in the middle of practice, you know."

"Yes, so I've heard. That's why I came to see if I could listen in on your performance for a bit. Hanamura-kun doesn't need any help from someone like me at the moment." Nagito's eyes drifted to the set of the drums. "It seems Uzumaki-kun is taking part too. How wonderful."

Was that sarcasm? Goddammit.

"Tell Mahiru that." Naruto finally let Mahiru free, but not before poking her on the cheek, much to her growing embarrassment. She tried to swat his hand away, but Naruto was too fast for that. "She thinks it's soooooo funny that I'm helping Hiyoko and Ibuki."

"I didn't say it like that!" the blushing Mahiru denied, even though it was true. "I just thought you looked…..sorta cute, okay!"

Oh.

Realizing what she had blurted out, Mahiru began to blush even harder. Steam was practically pouring out of her ears by this point. It was the first time she had ever called a boy "cute," so her reaction was understandable but also funny.

Hiyoko felt second-hand embarrassment for her best friend while Ibuki giggled.

"Oh my, oh my~ Ibuki thinks we have ourselves a steamy development here."

Nagito chuckled. "This is a rather intense scene. I wonder if I should even be present for it."

Naruto glanced at the others and shrugged. "Well, that's better than being called weird. So thanks, Mahiru."

Groaning, Ibuki placed a hand over her head. "And this guy reacts to it like anything else. Ibuki is super disappointed with this. You disappoint Ibuki, Naruto-chan."

Oi.

"B-Big Bro is kind of an idiot," Hiyoko said with one of her hands over her mouth.

"Hmm, I didn't want to admit it, but it seems Uzumaki-kun doesn't understand anything at all," Nagito said and nodded to himself.

A tick mark appeared on the blond. "Oi, do you all want to suffer under my wrath!? Because you can! I don't discriminate!"

Nagito raised his hands in a placating manner. "It's quite alright, Uzumaki-kun. We were just teasing you a little."

A little? More like a lot.

"T-That's enough already," Mahiru mumbled, finding the strength in her voice once again. But her cheeks were still red. "I only came here to take pictures of you guys to further advertise the event."

Ah, that sounded like a good idea. More people would come that way, especially if they knew popular performers like Ibuki and Hiyoko were going to be there. Naruto's part in the group was irrelevant in that regard. It was just Ibuki's wish to perform on stage with him, and there was no way Naruto could say no to that.

The girl was too persuasive.

Ibuki winked. "Then you can take as many shots as you need, Mahiru-chan~ This goddess is sure to blind all those who see her~"

"Huh? What goddess? All I see is a music junkie." Hiyoko snickered at her own joke.

Ibuki didn't seem to mind it and shrugged it off. She was one of the few who had been comfortable with Hiyoko's personality from the get-go. In fact, Teruteru's perversion was the only personality trait that had taken her a bit to get used to.

"Ah, pictures from Koizumi-san?" Nagito seemed excited. "I can't wait to see them. I'm sure they'll be wonderful."

"Yes, thank you." Mahiru accepted the compliment, but she didn't look overly excited by it.

Nagito didn't seem put off by that, but that was per the course with him.

"Alright, the great Ibuki will now make this room go wild with excitement!" Ibuki did a quick jump, her guitar in hand. "Nagito-chan will be our judge here!"

"Hmm, I'll definitely try my best."

Naruto almost sweatdropped when he saw how seriously Nagito took Ibuki's words. For someone who could be really smart, he went along with too many stupid things.

"Over here, Big Sis!" Hiyoko was guiding Mahiru to take pictures of her, rather than everyone. "I'm sure my moves will elevate your pictures to a whole new world!"

"Hehehe, Hiyoko-chan is taking the spotlight." Ibuki winked back at Naruto. "Come on, we can't let her beat us!"

Naruto didn't mind, but he was here to play too. And so he did. He started slow, which was in total contrast to Ibuki's fast tempo. The guitarist was brutal like that, though. She expected Naruto to keep up with her, and wouldn't hold his hand at all.

Naruto took it as a challenge.

Because of this, Mahiru and Nagito were treated to a battle between than two while Hiyoko did her own thing, too lost in her dance to pay attention to the other two. Or maybe she was paying attention but just didn't care. The smile on her face was left for interpretation.

'I wonder if this will be okay?' Mahiru thought, sweatdropping at this bizarre sight. Still, she couldn't say she hated it. Far from it, seeing the trio like this just made her feel warm inside. A feeling she got more and more as she spent time with her class, and she was sure it was something the others experienced as well.

Nagito just stood in silence as he took all of this in.

'Hope…..it's really here.'

If only it could sound a little better.

* * *

It was near lunchtime, and the practice session for their band had concluded for the time being. Naruto had debated texting Teruteru for some food, but there was something else he was curious to see first before then.

"You don't have to follow me…."

"I'm just curious. I've never seen this type of stuff before. You don't mind, do you?"

"It's not that. It's just a camera. Nothing fancy. Didn't they have cameras in your village?"

"They did. They were just…..not as advanced as this, I guess."

Mahiru mulled this over. From the sound of things, Naruto's village was definitely not very modern-like. No cars, no phones, and no cameras like her own? She wondered what else they lacked. Hopefully not something too important, like medicine. Otherwise, she had to wonder how he'd survived for this long.

"Cameras were only used for very important moments," Naruto said, snapping her out of her thoughts. The two were walking together, going down one of the halls of the school. "Like graduation or a family portrait."

Totally different from here then.

"I guess the photographers in your village would find me weird then," Mahiru said with a small faraway smile. "I take pictures of just about everything."

Yes, she did. Naruto recalled her talking about that before, about how much the present meant to her. Her photos were a record of that. It was a sentiment Naruto could get behind.

The pair arrived at the first floor, where they headed for the AV room. It was the first time Naruto was stepping in here. Once again, he was taken back by all the different machines inside. He couldn't begin to fathom what their purpose could be.

'Definitely need to study some more.'

A gloomy thought. Studying was still boring, but he didn't like being in the dark about stuff like this.

"We're not going to use any of the monitors." Mahiru said that like he was supposed to understand what they even did. "I set up my laptop here, since it felt appropriate. The silence is also nice."

Silence? It sort of made sense. Mahiru was the type of girl that would value silence when working.

Naruto followed the redhead to one of the monitors near the front of the room, where she indeed had a laptop set up with a bunch of wires. Again, Naruto was totally lost on what all of this was.

His confusion aside, Mahiru began her work. She connected one of the wires, or cables, to her camera. This established the connection between the computer and the camera, exactly what she needed.

"I got a new camera after our trip. It's more useful for this type of work."

Naruto really didn't see a difference. "It looks just like your old camera."

Mahiru rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't hurt you to pay more attention. This one is totally different. For one thing, it can upload pictures unlike the other model." Her eyes softened. "I'll still be using the other one, though. I don't think I can part with it just yet."

Ah. So there was a personal connection. Naruto wasn't all that surprised, nor was it hard for him to understand. It was probably the way a swordsman would feel about their sword. Or a master with their techniques.

Silence followed as Mahiru continued with her upload. It got to the point where the redhead began to feel awkward. Naruto's gaze had that effect, since it felt like he was judging her work.

"Y-You don't have to look so serious," she managed to say as another photo was uploaded. This one was a group shot of Naruto, Ibuki, and Hiyoko. They three were smiling, with Naruto and Ibuki staring each other down. Probably because of their little contest. "The photos aren't that exciting."

"Really?" Naruto looked at the girl. "I think they're beautiful."

Beautiful? That was…..new.

She needed to know more. "What do you mean?"

Naruto detected something in Mahiru's voice, almost like she was she hoping for something. But what could that be? He certainly didn't know, but being honest was probably the best way to go.

"Your photos. I think you called them a record before. I think I get it now, what you meant. You're able to preserve the smiles of your friends, of people, so that they can see them later. It's definitely a great thing to have when you're feeling down. It reminds you that not everything is bad, that you have some happiness in your life. Sometimes, that's all you need to get out of whatever despair you may find yourself in. That's what I think anyway."

Mahiru was left feeling a little overwhelmed. She didn't think that someone like Naruto would be able to say something like that. But that's how he was, wasn't he? It had been the same way back on their trip. How he had easily declared that he wanted to bring peace to the world. Many would say that it was a childish dream, and a part of Mahiru had certainly thought that. Still, she hadn't been able to fully dismiss him. Not when he looked so full of conviction, much like how he was right now.

"I didn't think I would hear someone say that about my photos," she admitted while smiling. "To tell you the truth, most people consider my photos boring. They think that there isn't any worth in them. That I can do something more exciting. Kind of like my mother. She's a war photographer. Her photos are the exact opposite of mine."

Naruto listened, letting the girl speak to her heart's content.

"But she would never show me the gruesome stuff." Mahiru continued to smile as she remembered those times. "Just photos of people's smiles. It made me happy to see them. Like their happiness was transferring through the photo and going to me. That's why I want to do the same with my photos. What my mother made me feel…...that pure emotion. If just one person can feel happy because of my pictures, then that's more than enough for me."

Passion. The girl before him was passionate. It was blinding, but also inspiring. If nothing else, it showed him that Mahiru really did love her photos.

The girl started to blush after realizing what she'd admitted. "I-I mean. I-It's stupid and s-silly. You don't have to give it much thought. Hahahaha…..."

The laugh was so fake Naruto almost laughed out loud.

"You don't have to get embarrassed, Mahiru. I think it's a wonderful dream. Your photos can definitely bring people together. Don't let anyone discourage you from that."

"I-I wasn't!" She sat straighter. "I'm definitely going to pursue my dream. And if it so happens to help you with yours, then it can't be helped."

So she said, but she did have her doubts before. About whether or not it was truly worth it to keep going. After so many people telling her the same thing, about her pictures being boring, it was easy to get discouraged. Not that she would admit to that. She already made one slip up. She couldn't afford another.

'Being encouraged by a boy…...so embarrassing.'

Still, Mahiru didn't feel annoyed by it. Far from it. Instead, she was happy. And that only embarrassed her further.

"Well, I'm good with that." Naruto sounded very amused, probably because he was able to see right through her. He was oddly perceptive like that, Mahiru noted. Of course, he was still dense in other areas. It was a sort of cute dynamic in her opinion.

…...wait, no it wasn't! Not cute at all. Just stupid. Yes, stupid. That's what it was. Just another dumb boy who could understand her.

...dammit.

The two would continue in silence, only it wasn't awkward this time. It was more comfortable than before, as Naruto really enjoyed watching all the pictures Mahiru had managed to take. Seeing Ibuki, Hiyoko, and even Nagito smiling, looking like they were having the time of their lives. It was simply uplifting. It was as Mahiru said. Photos could convey a strong message, perhaps stronger than words if done properly. Almost like…...ninshū, connecting the world without words. Just as Super Gramps had wanted.

"You can totally change the world with pictures," Naruto muttered in realization. He didn't notice that he said that out loud, or that Mahiru began to blush at the unexpected praise.

Sometimes, being oblivious was probably the right thing. It just made you more honest.

* * *

"Mhmm, I'm happy that you would come to me today, Uzumaki-kun. The others all said they didn't need lunch today. I was worried I was being forgotten. I'm so glad I'm still in your thoughts."

"For some reason, I don't like the way you said that…."

And even Akane had skipped? What a surprise. Nekomaru had probably kept her from coming somehow.

"It's just your imagination, I assure you."

Sure, sure.

Apprehensions aside, Naruto still wolfed down the meal prepared for him by Teruteru, the two boys alone in the cafeteria. It was beef stew. A simple but still delicious meal as far as he was concerned. The cook had even been nice enough to prepare some for Kurama as well who was happily eating on the floor with a plate of his own. From the way his tail was wagging, he was definitely enjoying it.

"It pleases me to see how much you enjoy my cooking~" Teruteru laughed like he usually did. "But I'm surprised. I was sure that you would prefer something more refined."

Refined?

"I thought all your cooking was refined?" That's what the cook had said before anyway.

"Oh, but of course!" Teruteru patted his chest. "All my dishes are cooked to perfection! But this is still a dish for the common folk."

Naruto looked confused. "I really have no idea what you mean sometimes, Teruteru."

"Is that so?" The short boy started to giggle. "That's only because I'm surrounded by mysteries, Uzumaki-kun. But feel free to look under the hood, so to speak. I'm sure you'll like what you find."

Again, Naruto didn't know how to respond to Teruteru's comment. Speaking to Teruteru was sometimes more baffling than Ibuki if he was being honest, which was saying something.

"But I am being serious," Teruteru said. "Dishes like this are not usually what I prepare. Even ramen is orthodox for me to make."

"Why?"

"I come from a higher status in society, Uzumaki-kun." Teruteru shot him a wink. "Doesn't my aura give that away? My uniform even. I am completely refine from top to bottom."

Was he? Naruto had never noticed it. "I don't really give it much thought."

"Oh, come now. Don't be bashful. Surely you see that Miss Sonia and I are quite a pair. She, a princess. I, a well-refined chef meant for royalty and nothing less." He then paused for a moment. "But you and the others are an exception of course. I don't mind cooking for you guys at all."

And Naruto appreciated that. As for that other stuff…...

"Don't you get tired of doing stuff like that, Teruteru?"

"Doing what?"

"Pretending to be something you're not."

Teruteru went silent for a moment before chuckles escaped him. They were a little forced, Naruto noted.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Uzumaki-kun. Why are we talking about this anyway?"

His dismissal to the accusation didn't dissuade Naruto. Not one bit.

"I'm only saying this as an outsider looking in, but it feels to me like you're putting on airs. Especially with your food." He looked down at the now empty plate. What had he called it? Something Versailles or whatever. Naruto already forgot. It had sounded complicated, but in the end he served something that even Naruto was familiar with. It was something he had picked up in their trip as well. The food Teruteru cooked…...Naruto couldn't explain it, but it was the sort of food that made him feel at home. Comfortable. Almost like he was with his family. Not something he could get at a random or even luxurious restaurant. Which was weird, because Naruto had never experienced that before in his life. And yet, it was still there, in his heart.

"You wound me, Uzumaki-kun." Teruteru pretended to pout. But then a thought occurred to him. "Although that's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about."

Oh?

Naruto eyed the cook. "Is this why you went to the old man's ramen shop before? Were you looking to talk to me about this?"

"Maybe…..but who cares about that!" Teruteru waved his hand in dismissal. "It's in the past, and we need to move on to the future!"

Sure, sure.

"What did you want to talk about?" Might as well hear it now.

"Well, it's not a weird question I assure you." When you put it like that, it made it sound like it _was_ going to be a weird question. Naruto didn't voice those concerns, though, and let Teruteru continue. "When I went to the ramen shop to defe-I mean, _look_ for you, the shop owner there told me something very interesting about you, Uzumaki-kun. About the tastiest dish you've ever eaten."

That slip-up aside, Naruto knew what Teruteru was talking about. It was something he had told Jiro after the man had asked him what he thought about his ramen. Naruto being Naruto had told the truth.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Is my food not the best?"

Naruto had sort of expected the question, but he was still surprised somehow. It was mostly because of Teruteru. He looked serious now, the complete opposite of how he usually was. It was a rare sight indeed, but it didn't stop Naruto from being truthful.

"No, it's not. Even your ramen, which was delicious, is not the best ramen I've tasted."

That was true for Jiro's ramen too.

"I see." Teruteru didn't look shocked by the answer. He too had been ready to hear what Naruto had to say. "So it's just as that man said. There is a dish out there that I haven't been able to reach. Is it because of the ingredients? Presentation? Or the actual taste?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's not that. Your cooking is definitely amazing, Teruteru. Especially the beef stew you just made. It felt like the meal was actually dancing in my heart, or something like that." Again, it was difficulty to put into words. "If you ask me, what you made for me just now is the best dish you've ever made In what I've tasted anyway."

Now this did shock Teruteru, and it showed on his face. "That….." He quickly calmed down again, his face looking almost peaceful. "Ah, you totally say the weirdest things sometimes, Uzumaki-kun. So much so that I don't really know what to say now…..."

He didn't sound angry, or anything of the sort. More like…...delighted, or elated. Like he was content with Naruto's answer despite not being what he had wanted to hear. Once again, it was difficult to explain. The meaning was still conveyed between the two, though.

"Then what is the tastiest dish you've ever eaten?" Teruteru asked. It was something he needed to know.

Naruto closed his eyes as he remembered that day. It had been a stormy night, and he had been out looking for food. Back then, nobody in the village wanted to serve him anything, and he had been low on money. That's when he had happened to meet Teuchi, who had invited him to his little ramen shop, free of charge. The ramen was nothing fancy, and deep down Naruto knew this. The ingredients hadn't been anything special either, and he was sure that Teruteru cultivated only the best. But it wasn't about that at all. It was simply the first time that anyone had been kind to him. That meal had meant much more than just dinner. It was like Mahiru's pictures, or the dish Teruteru had made for him today. Teuchi's ramen had conveyed a message more powerful than words.

"It was a bowl of ramen someone served to me years ago." Naruto opened his eyes to look at Teruteru. "It was very special to me, but I'm sure to you it wouldn't be. You could probably find many faults with it, and you'd probably be right. But it wouldn't change a thing. It would still be the best dish I've ever eaten."

What Naruto didn't know was that Teruteru understood exactly what he was getting at. Of course, it was a sentiment that the cook had abandoned, something that he was beginning to see now.

It's why his mother's recipe still trumped his, why Naruto had declared it as the best dish he'd made. It wasn't about the "fancy" elements at all.

"I get it." Teruteru began to smile. "You've made me realize something very important, Uzumaki-kun. Something my mother taught me a long time ago."

His family's diner was nothing especial, but to Teruteru it meant the world. It was the best. That's exactly what Naruto was talking about just now. The tastiest ingredient in food…..it wasn't something that could be quantified or perfected. It had to be understood. It was conveyed differently from person to person. But if it could be shared…...

"Your mother?" Naruto grinned. "My mom taught me some stuff too, things I can never forget. I think you should follow your mom's words too, Teruteru."

As they say, moms know best.

"Mhmm, I think you're right." Teruteru started to chuckle. "Even now, I still haven't been able to surpass her. Mostly because of what a fool I've been."

He's been fixating on the wrong things. That's why his cooking still wasn't perfect. If he wanted to move forward, he needed to keep his mother's words close to his heart. Then, and only then, could he possibly spread that feeling to others, just as he'd done with his mother's dish just now.

Teruteru then started to inch closer to the blond, who leaned back out of instinct.

"Hohohoho, I'm _very_ excited now, Uzumaki-kun. Care to see just how much~"

Naruto suddenly got the feeling that he should run. And very fast.

Even if some things changed, others would remain the same. And Teruteru would always be Teruteru.

* * *

"Hmm, you say some weird stuff sometimes, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto wasn't prepared to be ambushed by Nagito the moment he stepped out of the cafeteria. Kurama was plopped on top of his head, resting comfortably as he enjoyed a nap after a very good meal.

"Nagito? What the hell, man. I couldn't even sense you!"

Nagito chuckled. "I've been told that I don't stand out that much. Compared to you guys, I think that's only more obvious."

That so? Again, Naruto didn't really get it, but he just brushed it aside. Nagito was always spouting gibberish. Nothing new here.

"I didn't expect to hear you say all of that, though," Nagito said, getting back to the point. "I almost missed it too. How lucky of me to arrive in time."

"You were listening in?"

"Ah, I'm sorry." Nagito looked down in disdain. "You probably didn't want someone like me to hear your conversation, but I was too curious and couldn't help myself."

"You don't have to go that far…."

It wasn't like Naruto was going to hold it against him. He wasn't that petty.

Nagito looked pleased. "Really? I must thank your kindness, Uzumaki-kun. Although I do have to wonder about what you said….."

He had been with Teruteru when Jiro had shared that information, after all. He wanted to know what dish could possibly surpass that of the **Ultimate Cook** 's. It's why he had been planning on accompanying Teruteru later today to the ramen shop, to hear Naruto's response. Not that it was needed anymore.

"I think I was being fair with my words," Naruto replied, shrugging. He still loved Teruteru's cooking, but Ichiraku Ramen would always be number one in his heart.

"Even so, I believe that talent can trump sentiments like that," Nagito said in return, his arms crossed. The smile left his face as well. "Just because you have personal attachments to something does not necessarily make it better."

"I think most people would disagree with you on that, if not all." Naruto was sure of this. "Personal biases do exist, Nagito. Even if you can admit to something being technically better, in reality, it does not mean that you will consider it that way."

Everyone had something they cherished, and this could be for any reason, no matter how small. To replace those feelings with something 'better'…..it just wasn't possible as far as Naruto was concerned.

"How strange." Nagito still wasn't convinced. "Don't you believe that talent comes first above all?"

That was an easy one.

"Of course not."

Advantages existed, sure. One of those being talent. But it wasn't everything either. Being talented was only the beginning stage, that's all. It could help you, it can even place you ahead at first. But if it wasn't accompanied with hard work, then it wouldn't get you far. That's why Naruto admired all of his classmates. They were certainly gifted, and they enjoyed what they did. But they also put in the effort, which only elevated them further.

As for Nagito, it was almost like he was seeing Naruto in a different light for the first time. Not one of admiration, but…..uncertainty. Almost as if he couldn't understand Naruto at all.

But that's precisely what it was. Naruto and Nagito didn't share the same beliefs, and it was something Nagito was seeing the first time. It was honestly…..unsettling to the pale boy.

'I don't get it. You're hope itself, so why are you…..'

New thoughts began to emerge in Komaeda Nagito, all dealing with the blond before him.

Needless to say, Nagito's worldview was beginning to crack, even if only a tiny bit.

* * *

 **This chapter was meant to come out like two weeks ago, but then I found a copy of Black Flag installed in my Xbox One. I have no idea how it got there. Maybe it came with the console. Regardless, since Black Flag is my favorite Assassin's Creed game, I couldn't help but start a new game on this copy. Start from the bottom up again. And it was totally worth it.**

 **So yeah. Blame that for my lateness.**

 **But yes, I named a chapter after Teruteru. Why? Because the short guy doesn't get enough love in this fandom. I need to spread some around since I actually like the guy. I also paired him up with Mahiru because their development with the blond dealt with the same message: their talents can spread love or hope stronger than words can. At least, in a more direct and impactful way. So can Hiyoko, but unlike with her Mahiru and Teruteru needed some form of encouragement to help them. That's also another reason why the two share the same chapter. Nagito also got some love, but it's still only the beginning with him. I believe there are two chapters left for this little arc, which will help me finish off the others. After that…well, that's a surprise.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. Happy days to you all.**

 **Till next time.**


	14. Life's Choices

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa. If I did, I would have created a spin-off/slice-of-life anime with the cast from the two games by now. Just sunshines and rainbows. If only...  
**

 **Imma go cry now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13:  
** **Life's Choices**

"What exactly are you doing here, _Kizakura-kun_? Don't you have a class to look out for?"

Koichi was slumped on the couch of the headmaster's office, still looking like he was on death's door. Jin had to twitch at the sight, once again reminded of the fact that this man was not teacher material at all. It was like life itself was throwing this reminder right at his face.

"That would be a fair concern, if they actually needed me." The man could speak in full sentences now, which was a helluva lot better from this morning. And he could sit properly too! "I'm sure you've seen the flyers around the school."

Jin had. He was coming back from lunch and had spotted several of these flyers around the school. They were all identical and announced the same event. They were designed by Mahiru with her pictures used for embellishment, which was sure to attract more people.

Jin hid his smile as he took his usual seat behind his desk. "This new class is quite busy." First the class trip and now this. They were closer than any other class he'd seen too. It was wonderful.

He then shot the hungover Koichi a look of annoyance. "Of course, it'd be a lot more appropriate if the teacher was involved as well."

"Eh. Uzumaki seems to have the whole thing under control."

"You know that's very irresponsible. He's still a student."

"Yeah, but he can keep them in line," Koichi shot back, making himself more comfortable in his seat. "It's funny. It hasn't even been a month yet, but they're already seeing him as their leader. That kid is something else."

Even if Jin was in agreement, this did not mean that he was pleased with Koichi's lack of management when it came to his class. Jin had known placing Koichi as a teacher was a bad idea, but he hadn't thought it would be _this_ bad. Not that there had been much of a choice.

'With the new additions, and the size of this class, the staff has been spread thin.'

Replacing Koichi was not a doable option right now unfortunately. Looking for new staff was probably the way to go, although it would take a while. It was something Jin had been hoping to not do, for several reasons, but he also wanted to make sure those kids had a proper teacher looking out for them. Koichi was obviously not that person.

"I get the feeling you thought something bad about me just now," Koichi said, more weakly this time. Whatever strength he'd gained in the past couple of hours was now leaving him, and fast.

At least there was no vomit.

"That isn't nice, to treat your precious staff like this. Why I outta-"

Okay, he was wrong. There was vomit.

Jin suppressed his shudder when Koichi lunged for the trash can to throw up, emptying out his stomach for what was probably the fourth time today.

'Yes, looking for a new teacher is probably for the best…..'

Offense intended, Koichi.

* * *

Yasuke glanced down to the flyer in his hand. He picked it up by chance on his way to the rooftop of the Science Building, which had become his favorite spot to be where he could read his manga and nap at his leisure. None of his bothersome classmates could trouble him here, which was a definite perk.

From that, it wasn't hard to figure out that he wasn't having a very…... _sociable_ school year so far. Far from it. He didn't bother to interact with his classmates, and they made sure to steer clear from him as well. Based on the flyer he picked up, though, not everyone was taking the same approach as him.

'That guy…...'

Uzumaki Naruto. Yasuke still remembered him, which was a rare thing for him to do. Heck, he still didn't know the names of any of his classmates or what teacher he had. He never showed up for class, which was probably why he didn't know any of them by heart. There was no reason for him to do so anyway. This was all simply a means to an end, nothing more. He had expected to see Naruto follow in the same path as him. After what had happened in their first day of school, it was only natural to assume that, right? But that didn't seem to be the case.

'How stupid.'

He crumbled up the flyer and threw it down from the rooftop, silently watching it fall to one of the gardens in the back of the building. He couldn't stomach the idea of wasting his time like that. There was no point, not as long as he had his purpose.

'I wonder what Junko is doing…...'

He let his mind wonder to the girl who was his one and only friend in this world before lying down on the ground and drifting off to sleep. He still had some research he needed to finish later, and then maybe those geezers in the Steering Committee would finally consider giving him his own lab to work in. It would speed up his work, which is all he cared about.

Mhmm, yes. That would be ideal, wouldn't it.

* * *

"Whiskers-kun, what is this?"

"Whiskers-what now?"

"H'mph, it's your new nickname! I came up with it on my own. Isn't it nice? I think it's totally nice! You should thank me for being so considerate. It's not everyday I bother to be so friendly with other people."

Naruto was actually too stunned for words right now. Why wouldn't he be? Ruruka, the same rude girl from before, had walked up to him all causally like they were friends, and was even giving him a nickname. Not a very original one mind you, but a nickname nonetheless.

What the hell?

Izayoi just stood next to the girl, his face blank as usual. Naruto wondered if the boy's face ever changed. It was like he was a statue half the time.

But never mind that. What did Ruruka want again? Oh, right. She was waving one of Mahiru's flyers in his face. This one didn't have one of the newer pictures she had taken this morning. The pictures were of the animals instead. There were several single shots, with a group shot at the bottom. It was very cute. Gundham must have lined them up, or maybe it was Mahiru?

"Whiskers-kun!"

"Huh?"

Ruruka huffed. "I don't like to be ignored, you know."

"Oh." Naruto realized she was still here. "What do you want?" He had already forgotten. Again.

Ruruka looked on the verge of tears now. Obviously, she was not used to be treated so indifferently like this.

"Like! I! Said! What are these flyers about? Is your class doing something?"

How did she know it was their class?

"If there are other animals like your cute little fox, then I want them!"

Kurama didn't move from Naruto's head, still napping. Teruteru's lunch had just been that good for the young fox. Naruto felt the same way, but he had things to do sadly. Napping could wait till later.

"It's for adopting pets, yes." Naruto didn't know how serious Ruruka was about the whole 'taking care of an animal' thing. She didn't look like someone who would be into that sort of thing. He couldn't stop her from going, though. The event was open for anyone who was interested.

"Are there any foxes?"

She was still hung up on that?

"There aren't. And you can't have Kurama, so don't even try to ask."

Ruruka puffed out her cheeks, a clear indication that she was annoyed. Not that it was going to change Naruto's mind. Kurama was his, and nothing would change that.

"You're so mean, whiskers-kun. Yoi-chan was nice enough to help you too!"

That was business. Naruto wouldn't consider the blacksmith a friend, and he was sure that Izayoi felt the same way.

Ruruka's mood did a one-eighty as she said, "But this looks like it could be fun. You don't mind if we stop by, right? The flyer says there's going to be games and food to enjoy too."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure, knock yourselves out."

"Alright! Looks like our Saturday has just been booked, Yoi-chan. We'll have to let Seiko-chan know too. She never goes out unless we make her. Silly girl."

Seiko-chan? Naruto had no idea who that was. Probably another friend of hers.

Seiko would probably weep if she knew she had been forgotten. Again.

Izayoi had no comment to make, but then again he rarely did. Ruruka didn't seem to mind as she fed him some of her sweets, which the boy happily accepted. Naruto was then treated to the weird sight of Izayoi's face practically melting, his cheeks like that of a chipmunk's as he ate Ruruka's sweets.

"Dewicious….."

"..."

Well, okay. That was a thing then.

"We'll see you Saturday, whiskers-kun." Ruruka waved to him as she dragged Izayoi down the hall, disappearing as they rounded the corner.

Naruto was left standing by himself, still baffled by what he just saw. It was hard to believe someone as stoic as Izayoi could be reduced to mere mush by some sweets.

'This school is weird.'

Understatement of the century right there.

* * *

There was another surprise waiting for Naruto in front of the main gates of the school. There was a whole line of trucks parked by the gates, with a bunch of men in similar uniforms following the orders given to them by none other than Chiaki herself. The usual soft-spoken girl was loud now, making sure to issue her commands left and right. It was almost like he was watching a commander addressing her troops.

It an interesting sight to say the least.

"Oh, Uzumaki-san. I didn't expect to see you here."

Ryota was here too. Not surprising since he was basically partners with Chiaki for this little mission of theirs.

"What's going on here?" Naruto had to ask since he was totally lost.

"Nanami-san didn't tell you?" A look of surprise flashed on Ryota's face. "We got the games ready. Kuzuryu-san approved of what we came up with, so now we're organizing all the materials before they're brought to the park. This is the last batch."

Ryota said 'we,' but he wasn't involved in this process at all. No, Chiaki was doing this all by herself. He didn't seem to mind, though. Probably because he could see how much fun Chiaki was having with this.

"Eh, that so?" Naruto reached to his head to pat the sleeping Kurama. "If Fuyuhiko approved it, then I guess the games aren't going to be so bad."

Ryota sweatdropped a little. "I don't know about that…..."

"I am trying to be optimistic about this, but you make it so hard."

"…..I'm sorry."

Naruto sighed loudly. "Well, whatever. As long as they're good."

But really. The Kuzuryu clan was well-connected. Putting together a work force like this? And in such a short amount of time?

'Nagito said they have over 30,000 members in their ranks. I guess it was no exaggeration.'

Nothing else was to be expected from the family of the **Ultimate Yakuza**. Naruto just hoped the workers weren't being coerced into this or something like that. He would just have to trust that Fuyuhiko didn't rely on such methods.

Oh, and speaking of Nagito, the so-called luckster had excused himself after their brief conversation in the cafeteria. Something had seemed…...off about him, for a lack of a better word. Unfortunately, Nagito hadn't been too keen on sharing what his problem was, and Naruto knew better than to push too much in those kinds of situations. He was sure the boy would talk when he was ready.

"It's still really weird," Ryota said, bringing Naruto out of his thoughts. "I never expected to see this side of Nanami-san. I didn't think she had it in her."

"You think?" Naruto let out a small hum in thought. "Just about everyone has a side that they hide away from others. We're no exception. Whether we get the chance to express that side is a different story, or if we even want to. I think Chiaki doing this shows that she's more comfortable around us."

"A different side…..?" Ryota looked amused by Naruto's word choice. "That's convenient."

Convenient?

"What do you mean?"

For a second, it looked like Ryota would keep quiet. But then he spoke what was on his mind.

"It's a convenient explanation for those who know themselves I guess. But what if you didn't? What if you had no idea who you were? _What_ you were? I don't think your convenient explanation would work then."

Naruto eyed the animator for a moment. It was back again. That feeling in the back of his head, like he was standing next to a different person. Just now, he was sure of it, more so than before. That there was something….. _different_ about this Ryota and the one who normally interacted with them. It wasn't different like with Chiaki either. It was something more fundamental than that. But what was it?

Naruto was drawing a blank on that final piece of the puzzle.

"You say some interesting things, Ryota."

The round boy blinked as he processed that statement. There was a pause. A look of distress flashed on his eyes for just a second, and then it was gone. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would say he imagined that.

"I…..I don't know what you mean, Uzumaki-san."

Right, of course he didn't.

"Man, a lot of people do like to keep things to themselves, huh." Naruto's eyes met Ryota's. "Fuyuhiko, Nagito, and you. I think Peko-chan has a big secret too."

Ryota had no outward reaction to Naruto's words, but his mind was racing. What was the blond talking about? Could he know…...? No, there was no way he knew. He was just speculating, observing like he always did. That's something Ryota had come to expect from Uzumaki Naruto. While the boy looked dim witted on the surface, Ryota knew the blond was quick on the uptake when it came to reading people. That's how he was able to connect with the others so well. Ryota prided himself on being different from the rest, though. No, that wasn't it. It wasn't _pride_. He didn't have pride in his skills. Just…..it was simply the way things were. He was different. There was nothing else to it.

"I don't know what you mean. I think everyone has a secret or two they'd rather not share with others." Ryota chose the safe response.

Naruto's eyes scrutinized him further. "That is true. I admit to doing the same, which is why if I tried to call you out on it right now I'd be nothing more than a hypocrite. But I'm still curious about you. About all of you."

Ryota looked away. He had no idea how the conversation had taken this unexpected turn, and he didn't like it.

"Still, I trust you. So I'll wait for when you're ready to share."

Ryota snapped his head back to the blond, looking like a deer caught in headlights. That's how foreign he felt right now.

"You trust me….?"

Naruto grinned. "Heh, 'course I do! I trust all of you guys. We're the ones who are going to bring world peace, remember?"

That…..Ryota found himself feeling somewhat amused again, and awed. "You make things sound so easy, Uzumaki-san. And besides, you just admitted to keeping some stuff to yourself too. It wouldn't be very fair for us to share our secrets with you and you not do the same with us."

"You're right about that. Which is why I'll probably share my secrets too, one day." There was no hesitation on Naruto's part, because he was being sincere. Chiaki had already helped him come to terms with his situation, and he was sure the others could do the same too. It's what friends were for, to rely on one another in times of need. Not to mention that he was going to try and build a world where honesty was key. Keeping a big secret from his closest friends wouldn't do him any good with that, now would it? It was a complete change from before, where he wouldn't dare tell anyone about his past, where he came from. But if he couldn't trust his classmates, then who could he trust?

Ryota had no proper counter to this. Naruto had pretty much shattered right through his insecurities in one fell swoop, and the blond probably didn't realize it.

'He trusts me, huh…..'

It was the first time Ryota was told something like that, and it certainly made him happy. But…..

"You shouldn't speak of trust so easily, especially when you might not know the person well."

Ryota was stubborn, and he wouldn't be swayed so easily. Not after everything he had gone through in his life.

"That's true too, but that's the risk you take when you form bonds," Naruto replied, not bothered by Ryota's objection. "For better or worse, you're one of us, Ryota. That's why I'm willing to put my faith in you. It can end badly, yeah, but I'll make sure it doesn't have a bad end. Of that, I can promise you."

A promise…...again, the blond talked of such complex topics like he was discussing the weather. It was refreshing but also overbearing. Despite that, Ryota couldn't find it in himself to loathe the blond for it. Far from it. When Naruto spoke to him, it made Ryota believe that those words were truly aimed at him, and not…..well, _Ryota_.

Ryota closed his eyes and finally let out a smile. "Then I'll hold you to that."

Naruto didn't mind that one bit.

And so, the two boys shared a comfortable silence as they watched the workers complete the last of Chiaki's orders before driving off.

It was silly really, but for the first time in perhaps his entire life Ryota truly found himself comfortable standing next to someone else, almost like he could be _himself_. Just almost.

It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless.

* * *

"Holy shit, I can't believe this is real."

"I would reprimand you for your colorful language if it wasn't so appropriate."

"Yahooooooo! Ibuki is feeling pumped!"

Sonia looked positively pleased with herself as she watched Naruto, Ryota, Mahiru, Ibuki, and Hiyoko all gawk at the setup that was being done. They were at the park that Fuyuhiko had rented out for them. It was a beautiful place, with many different pathways that would be perfect for the food stands and games that were being built. At the center of the park was a massive circular walkway with a beautiful tree in the middle. Here, a stage had been set up. This was where the adoption was going to take place as it was the main attraction for the festival. The stage would also be where Naruto, Ibuki, and Hiyoko were going to perform before and after the adoption of the animals. And along with the stands and games, Sonia's own decorations were being put into place too. This included massive assortments of lights, and from what Naruto could see fireworks were going to be included too.

Sonia, just like with Fuyuhiko, wasn't taking this event lightly. Not surprising, as the princess always did things with vigor.

"I didn't think it was going to be this massive," Mahiru said, her eyes wide. It was the first time she was seeing the park for herself. Only Fuyuhiko had known what it looked like beforehand, with Sonia knowing soon after as she needed to get her setup complete.

"It's incredible." Even Hiyoko had to compliment the place and the decorations. She had to restrain herself from jumping around like a little kid in Halloween.

"Really?" Sonia clapped her hands, her face flushed with excitement. "Oh, I am pleased you like it! It took a while to decide everything, but it is all coming together!"

That it was. Naruto was impressed with the princess, as well as with Fuyuhiko. They had done well.

Ibuki couldn't contain herself any longer and ran for the stage, already imagining herself performing on it for a huge cheering crowd. And what made it better was that Naruto and Hiyoko would be at her side. Truly, this was bliss. Total bliss. She felt like playing her guitar now. The inspiration juice was flowing through her.

"Ibuki has so many songs she needs to share with the world! If only she had her guitar!"

Naruto didn't doubt Ibuki's words. The girl was always ready to take inspiration from anything that caught her interest.

"I-Is there food yet…...?"

Naruto switched his attention and watched how Nekomaru and Akane came walking from one of the paths of the park, the former carrying the latter over his shoulder. It looked like Akane was near death, funnily enough. Not only that, but her stomach was letting out massive rumbles that nearly made them go deaf. Yes, it was _that_ strong.

"Stop being so melodramatic," Nekomaru chastised her as he put her down next to the stage. He didn't look affected by the noise at all. "You've only missed one meal."

"But it's lunch," Akane argued weakly, unable to stand on her own. She didn't look annoyed that Nekomaru had dropped her on the ground like a sack of potatoes either, probably because of her hunger.

The others had to sweatdrop at this. Just how much of a glutton was Akane anyway?

Wait, better not go down that road.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Sonia said excitedly from the stage. "I texted Hanamura-san. He should be coming over soon. He said he had some stew prepared for us already!"

It must be what he served Naruto earlier. Definitely a good choice.

"Heh, guess you guys were too busy to eat lunch earlier, huh." Hiyoko poked the groaning Akane with her foot. "Even this stamina freak is going down under."

"Yes, and I do apologize for that!" Sonia exclaimed, bowing to show her remorse. "We just needed to make sure the stage and some of the other stands were completed in time. Owari-san and Nidai-san really helped with that."

Understandable. Other than Naruto, the two were the strongest in terms of physical power. That would come in handy during construction.

"T'ch, it was no big deal," Nekomaru said while picking his nose. "Owari just likes to go for the theatrics."

Akane simply groaned in her defense.

Mahiru had to stop Hiyoko from stepping on the girl. "She really looks like she's dying, though."

"Huh, guess I have no choice." Nekomaru started cracking his knuckles. There was a sudden shift in the air as the electric hue around Nekomaru's eyes sparked stronger than usual. "I'll have to use _it_."

It? Naruto recalled Nekomaru talking about that before, about this _it_. But what was _it_?

'And why do I feel like I don't want to know?'

"U-Um." Mahiru seemed to be in agreement with him, while Hiyoko didn't look like she cared. Then again, she rarely showed any interest in what the others were doing.

"Just put her on the stage for now. She might feel better there." Naruto didn't feel like having an episode here, not when this whole park could be destroyed in the process. It's what was expected when Nekomaru was involved.

"I think that's a good idea!" Mahiru quickly jumped on board with his idea, not wanting to see what her stupidly powerful classmate was about to do.

Nekomaru seemed crestfallen about the suggestion but nonetheless complied.

While the team manager did that, Naruto looked at Sonia. "Hey, where's Peko-chan and Mikan?"

Mikan had told him that she had decided to help around here since she could look after the workers in case of any injury. It was unlikely to happen, but it was a simple precaution. Peko had come to help with the labor, feeling like it was the best job for her under the circumstances.

"Oh my." Sonia tilted her head. "I believe Pekoyama-san left earlier with Kuzuryu-san. They were going to see Tanaka-san about a matter concerning the animals that were going to be put for adoption."

"Eh?" Ibuki poked her head over Sonia's shoulders. "Peko-chan and Fuyuhiko-chan? Those two? Ibuki didn't think they were close enough to be alone like that! Ibuki smells sparks in the air!"

Wasn't that just Nekomaru with his crazy eyes?

Mahiru shook her head. "Stop making it sound like something it isn't, Mioda-san. Those two have a normal relationship, that's all."

The redhead was sensible like that.

"Oh~" Hiyoko started to grin. "But you can't help but wonder, right~"

Oh great. Hiyoko agreeing with Ibuki? Not a good sign.

"Stop sounding like Teruteru, you two," Naruto drawled out. "They're classmates. There's nothing wrong with them getting along like this."

Right?

Ibuki's eyes twinkled. "Oh la-la-la~ Naruto-chan and Mahiru-chan sounded like a couple just now, agreeing so easily with one another. Is this the beginning of a new ship?"

"Wha-!" Mahiru looked on the verge of passing out after she processed what Ibuki was implying, but not in the same manner as Akane. It was the exact opposite actually. While Akane was turning whiter than a sheet of paper, Mahiru's whole body was red, making her look like a tomato. The others were sure steam would be coming out of her ears if this were a cartoon.

"A ship?" Sonia perked up. "What does that mean?"

Naruto felt confused too. "What are you talking about, Ibuki?"

"Oh." Ibuki looked away, her face full of disappointment. "Sonia-chan is understandable, but you too? Once again, you have disappointed Ibuki, Naruto-chan."

But how!?

"J-Just…...shut up, you!" Mahiru meant to sound and look threatening, but the stutter and giant blush made sure to have the opposite effect, so much so that Naruto felt himself getting second-hand embarrassment. He had to admit that Mahiru looked pretty cute right now. She was the exact opposite of her usual strong self. It was…...new.

But he would never say this out loud. Never. Mahiru would probably kill him if he did.

Ryota didn't bother to join the conversation, not wanting to get sucked in. No, he simply observed. It was more entertaining this way.

Sonia glanced to one of the paths leading out of the circle, putting the 'ship' topic aside for now. "Tsumiki-san was with Soda-san the last time I saw her," she said, answering the other part of Naruto's question. "He was finishing putting together one of the games Nanami-san came up with."

Naruto stared at Ryota who didn't meet his gaze.

Oh great.

"This isn't going to cause problems, is it?"

"I-I don't know why y-you would say that," Ryota stuttered out before pointing at him. "Have faith in your classmates! That's what you said, right?"

When it came to this? Not a chance.

And then there was Chiaki. She was leading a group of men down one of the pathways of the park, a map in her hand. They were carrying a lot of supplies with them. Naruto suspected it was for one of her other ideas.

"You guys can start eating without me when Teruteru gets here," he said as he started to follow the gamer girl. Kurama meanwhile jumped off his head to stay behind with Sonia on the stage. "I'll be making sure Chiaki doesn't cause any problems."

Mahiru smiled weakly while waving her arm. "I think you're overreacting a little. Nanami-san isn't _that_ bad."

Maybe, but he had to make sure. Besides, he was also curious about the kinds of games she came up with. Ryota wasn't going to give him a straight answer, so might as well get it straight from the source.

"Have fun!" Sonia's smile and Akane's groans bid him goodbye.

* * *

Naruto found Chiaki right where he expected her to be, giving out some more orders with her nostrils flaring in what could only be excitement.

"You have to be quick! We only have another day to work on this! There are still three other sections that need to be checked!"

"U-Um, right…...ma'am."

The workers looked to be out of their element. Naruto couldn't blame them. They probably weren't used to being ordered around by a high school girl.

"And where is Soda-kun?" Chiaki brought her clenched hands to her chest. "He's the only one here who can install the extra feature! The flour has to be in the right position, otherwise it can compromise the whole setup!"

Wait, flour? _Flour_!?

"Chiaki, what the hell is this?" Naruto asked bluntly, staring at the contraption that was being set up. It looked like some kind of tower, with stairs and ropes to climb on to reach the different floors. Naruto had no idea what kind of game this was supposed to be.

Chiaki looked proud of herself. "It's a new game of course. I call it Flour Tower! It's based on the very fist Donkey Kong game, the arcade version. It's old, but it's one of the classics. The objective of the game is simple. You have to climb to the top of the tower to win while you're bombarded with flour by the person at the top. Mitarai-kun said barrels were too dangerous, and anything slippery could lead to serious injury. We don't have enough time to set up acceptable safety features, so I had to go with flour. But this still looks like fun!"

She got a helluva lot more talkative when it came to games, didn't she? And what the heck was Donkey Kong? Naruto had never heard of such a thing before. It was just another thing that was out of his field of expertise.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think you would have an eye for games that aren't in those machines of yours."

Chiaki smiled softly. "Hmm, I suppose that's true. Before, I never would have considered it. Thanks to this activity, I've gained a new appreciation for stuff like this. Working on an idea, and bringing it to life…..it's really fun. I guess maybe I've grown a little?"

That was a funny way of putting it.

"This isn't a game," Naruto said, somewhat entertained by her phrasing. "You don't level up here."

He used that term correctly, right? Leveling up. That's what he had done when he played that game with the others. When he did level up, he basically became stronger in the game. Apparently that was something basic in video games.

"True, but I still think it's appropriate to use," she said, her hands now on the straps of her backpack. "It's like I told you before. When you have talent, it's almost like you're bound to it. Trapped even. For the longest time, it felt like there was nothing else for me to do outside of playing video games. But now I know that's not true. I can share my video games with others, and I can also create my own games too." Chiaki's face glowed with her happiness. "It makes me believe that there is still more out there for me to experience, and I'm very grateful for that."

Well, what do you know. She could articulate her feelings very well, couldn't she? But Naruto had already picked up on this from before, when she was able to help him snap out of his despair. Chiaki could make for a great leader if she tried, if she had more confidence in herself.

"Talent isn't everything." Naruto repeated those words, the same ones he told Nagito. "You're not limited by your talent, Chiaki. You're more than that."

His words hadn't changed. Naruto had shared his belief with her back in the camping trip, something Chiaki was grateful for. Back then, she had been happy to know he believed in her, but she still had doubted herself. She doubted if she could really grow past her talent. Now, she had proof.

There was still something she was curious about, though.

"Tell me, Uzumaki-kun. Do you believe that you were always destined to be a ninja? That your path was chosen from the moment you were born?"

Naruto blinked. He was startled by the question. Somehow, he expected a question like this from Nagito, not Chiaki of all people. Still, he wasn't going to not answer. Not when she looked at him with those curious eyes of hers. They made her look like an attentive student who would cling to his every word.

"That's a tough one." Naruto looked up at the clouds floating across the sky over their heads. "A good friend of mine once believed that destiny was fixed. That once you were born, you could do nothing but follow the path that destiny had laid out for you. If you were a failure, you would always be a failure. If you were a genius, then you would always be a genius."

Chiaki already knew his answer, but she asked him anyway. "Do you believe that also?"

"There is no denying talent. Whether we like it or not, it will always exist. Some people will just naturally be better at some stuff than others." Naruto shrugged. "But it's definitely not everything. Just because someone has a head start it doesn't mean you can never catch up to them. It's only when you give up that it becomes impossible." He chuckled. "I had another friend who who was the exact opposite but still became one of the strongest ninja around, and he did it through sweat and tears. He was a great inspiration for everyone who knew him. So it's definitely possible."

"But that could also be the work of destiny," Chiaki said softly. "Maybe that friend was always destined to get that strong, but he didn't know it."

"Man, you're really stubborn about this, aren't you?" Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe there are invisible strings everywhere and we just can't see them. I can't you a good answer on that. But what I can tell you is that someone once told me what my destiny was. And it was to fight and kill my best friend, or be killed by him."

Chiaki gave Naruto her full attention. How could she not after that statement?

"I don't-"

"It's complicated." It really was. "It didn't change anything for me, though. I didn't really give a crap about that. Still don't. I just wanted to save him. It goes back to that friend from before that I mentioned. Who believed in a fixed destiny. He did the same thing I did. He told destiny to go fuck itself." He chuckled at his own words.

Chiaki crinkled her nose. "That's really crude, Uzumaki-kun."

Naruto chuckled some more. "Yeah, but it was awesome." He hadn't forgotten Neji, and what he had done. Naruto would make sure to carry that for the rest of his life, along with the memories of everyone else.

He focused back on Chiaki. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can never know what the right path is in life until you do it. Just do what you want and don't have any regrets. Stuff like fate shouldn't factor in. Otherwise, you're only going to be miserable." He glanced back up to the sky. "Life is pretty much as wide and open as the sky above us. You can do anything you want. It doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, or that you'll always be happy. But I think that's part of being human."

Mistakes. Chiaki had experienced that before. Not in the form of her games, but with other aspects of her life. She could never make friends, and she knew about nothing other than gaming. It's why Chiaki still cherished Naruto's words, as it was the first time anyone showed that much support for her.

Even she doubted herself. Could she really be more than just the **Ultimate Gamer**? Were games the only thing she could succeed at? Was that the only path open to her? These were all questions that she had asked herself over and over again throughout her life.

'The future is like the sky.' Chiaki's face softened as she followed Naruto's example and looked up at the blue sky. It was definitely beautiful and vast.

Just like the future. It wouldn't be easy, but wasn't she already taking her first steps into that unknown horizon? With this festival, she was designing games for others to enjoy, not just playing them. It wasn't anything major, sure, but it was something. And as long as she continued to believe, then the chance was there, right?

Yes. The chance was always there. She just had to reach out and take it.

"By the way." Naruto looked at her again. "That friend you were 'destined' to kill…...what happened? Did you...do it? Or..."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Eh, I think that's a story for another time."

Chiaki puffed out her cheeks. "That's not fair, Uzumaki-kun. You can't leave the story there. It was just getting to the good part!"

'Good part,' she said. More like soul crushing.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Naruto was about to respond but closed his mouth at those words. "You seem to be carrying something big," Chiaki continued, sure of herself. "I noticed the same thing during our trip. Tell me, Uzumaki-kun. Will you ever share your burden…...with me? With us?"

So Chiaki could read people too, huh.

"You know, you're not the first one to ask me that today," Naruto said with some humor in his voice. He then turned a bit more serious. "You don't have to worry about that. I'll definitely be sure to tell you guys…...everything. I'm sure you'll be able to help me again when that time comes."

They had already given him new bonds to treasure.

Chiaki smiled, and it was one of the purest smiles Naruto had ever seen in his life.

"Of course. We are friends, after all."

* * *

"You're not doing a very good job at hiding, ya know."

Naruto didn't bother to hide his amusement as Sonia turned to him with an unintentional loud "eep!" escaping from her mouth. It was very cute, he wasn't going to deny that.

"N-Naruto! You scared me!" The princess had to steady her heart as she leaned on the tree she had been hiding behind. Naruto was dangling upside down from one of the branches, still looking amused.

"You shouldn't sneak on people like that!" Honestly. One second, he was walking away from the area, and the next he was suddenly behind her!

"Eh, I'm a ninja. If I didn't sneak on people, then I would be going against my training. And it's fun to scare people."

The last comment made her smile. "You really have a prankster's heart, do you not?"

Oh, Sonia. Always trying to stay positive and upbeat. It was one of the things Naruto liked the most about her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Naruto jumped down from the branch and landed next to her. "I know Chiaki is in hard-mode right now, but she's not _that_ scary."

Past the tree was where he had been talking to Chiaki just a few moments prior. The girl had stayed behind to make sure that her contraption was completed perfectly.

"Y-Yes, well, I came to get you and Nanami-san since lunch is ready. Hanamura-san arrived with the food he promised."

Even though he told her she didn't have to do that? Again, she was just too nice. But man, Teruteru got here fast. He must have gotten excited to hear that the others wanted his cooking again.

"And you spied on us because…...?"

Sonia blushed. So she was caught.

"I-I do apologize sincerely!" She bowed so fast Naruto was afraid she snapped her back or something. "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation with Nanami-san, but it looked important and I didn't want to intrude."

Well, it's not like Naruto was mad at her. It wasn't anything worth getting worked up over.

"B-But…..."

"Hm?" She had something to say?

Sonia straightened her back and stared at him. "What you said about destiny…..."

Naruto crossed his arms. So she had definitely overheard them. "What? Do you disagree with me?"

It wouldn't be the first time.

Sonia shook her head. "No, far from it. I actually believe…..or rather, I want to believe what you said is true. I've been trying to believe that for many years now."

There was a shift in Sonia's attitude. She was no longer the bubbly and excited girl that was always up for trying new things. No, instead she looked older now. More…..mature. But it wasn't a happy picture. It more like the portrait of someone who had given up.

"Did something happen, Sonia?"

His words snapped her out of that mood, and she looked apologetic. "I'm very sorry! I did not mean to bring the mood down. This is a happy occasion!"

Naruto sighed. "If you're not happy, then no one else will be. The others would agree too."

"It's not like that at all!" Sonia exclaimed. "You have to believe me, Naruto. I am happy. More happy than I've ever been in my life! I finally have friends I can talk to without having to worry about my status, or what people might think. I can just be a normal girl here. It's everything I could ask for, and it's only possible because of you."

So that's what she was worried about? It made sense. Naruto admitted that he never had to concern himself with stuff like that. Image? Status? To him, as Gaara would put it, those were merely outdated thoughts that only held people back. He saw no need for them.

Sonia was different. She was royalty. A princess. She had to deal with those expectations from the day she was born. She could never be just Sonia. She was Sonia Nevermind, princess of her kingdom. That was the image she had to uphold, whether she liked it or not.

Sonia's features were soft as she said, "I can escape from that life here. It won't last forever, I know this, but it still fills me with happiness. As much as I love my kingdom and my people, I want to experience this happiness for a little while longer."

Even if this world was more advanced, even though many things were different from his village, some things never changed. Sonia had to go through one of the problems that had plagued the shinobi world for a long time. No, she was _still_ going through it. She didn't think she could escape it. At least, not forever.

"I don't really know much about your kingdom, Sonia, but I can speak for everyone when I say that you don't have to burden yourself with thoughts like that when you're with us," Naruto reassured her. "We just want you. Sonia, the girl who's a bit weird but is also our classmate and dear friend. We won't ask for anything more than that."

"Naruto….." Sonia's eyes watered a little. They were simple words, but they meant a lot to her.

When she began to step closer to him, Naruto expected a hug. But instead, she lightly punched him in the chest. It didn't hurt, but he didn't think it was supposed to.

"I am not weird."

She said this, all the while having a smile on her face. It was a smile that came from the heart. Naruto realized that this must have been something that was weighing on her mind a lot, even if she didn't fully realize it. She must have wanted to be reassured that she could be herself around them with no problems and no judgement. Sonia might be a princess, but she was also a teenage girl, and as such she had her own insecurities.

She was no different from everyone else.

Naruto doubted that many people could see that, though. Not just in her kingdom, but by people around here too. It was the same for the others, as he had come to notice. Heck, that rang true for him as well. Just being classified as an **Ultimate** was enough to make other people look at you differently.

Getting her tears under control, Sonia stepped back and bowed again. "I'm sorry for forcing you to bear witness to that. I don't know what came over me…..."

Always apologizing. Probably another byproduct from her childhood.

"Don't worry about it. It's just like I told Chiaki." It was Naruto who stepped closer to her this time. Sonia shot him a questioning look, but instead of explaining his actions Naruto flicked her on the forehead. The blond chuckled when she squeaked at the unexpected strike.

It was a very cute sound.

"You can choose your own path. And we'll be there to help you."

Even if it meant not being a princess anymore.

"That…." Sonia was at a loss for words for a moment before rubbing her forehead and pouting. "You sound so positive all the while striking me, a lady. You definitely lack delicacy, Naruto."

Yeah, he did.

Oh, and the pouting was cute too.

* * *

 **Alright, whoever predicted that I wouldn't be able to fit everyone else in two chapters (I'm looking at you,** _ **Black**_ **), then you were right!**

 **I hate it when other people are right.**

 **But yeah. I totally underestimated the amount of stuff I had yet to cover. I honestly thought I could get to the Kuzuryu dinner in this chapter, but as it turns out…..I wasn't even close.**

 **I really need to stop underestimating my content. Second time in a row this has happened. I need to get my act together!**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. Thanks again for all of your continued support.**

 **Till next time.**


	15. It's Okay

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14:  
** **It's Okay**

"Maizono Sayaka?"

"Mhmm, that's correct, Uzumaki-kun. Isn't she beautiful? My loins are already tingling just from hearing her name alone! That's how powerful her beauty is. I'd say she gives the angels in our class a run for their money."

"Erm…...you really should watch what you say, Teruteru. Before you get into deep trouble."

"Hehehe, you should already know, Uzumaki-kun. I'm an honest pervert. I just have to share my thoughts with the world!"

He kept saying that like it made everything okay, but…..it really didn't.

Naruto felt like facepalming as Teruteru gushed. The two boys were at the park, the latter having arrived around ten minutes ago with his delicious food. Since Naruto had already eaten, he was content just sitting on the stage with Kurama on his lap while the others filled their stomachs. Teruteru decided to join him since he had eaten as well. It was here where the cook had started to show him several pictures of this famous idol that he was really into. One of the _most_ famous idols in the whole country apparently.

It was just another foreign concept to the blond really, this "idol" business. It was sort of like this Maizono person was a goddess or something. Teruteru was sure acting like she was.

"They just announced that she's going to be releasing a new photo album in the coming months," Teruteru told him, pressing his phone to his chest. He started to drool. "It'll be a bikini set too. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on it!"

Naruto looked a bit more interested now. He knew what bikinis were, and this Maizono girl did look really beautiful. It was a combo he could get behind.

But no, he was no pervert. Just a healthy male. Honest.

"I would sell my own kidney if I got to meet her!"

Naruto shook his head. "That's stupid. Sure she's beautiful, but she's just a person. I don't think you should put her on a pedestal like that."

"Ohohoho, I would expect nothing less from you, Uzumaki-kun. I'm sure with your beastly spirit you could even tame this wild fairy."

Beastly spirit? Wild fairy? Where did Teruteru come up with these things?

"I swear. You and Kazuichi confuse me a lot."

Speaking of the mechanic, he strolled into the area later than everyone else with Mikan following suit. He had a lot of complaints too.

"I've had it! Nanami is working me to death! We gotta stop her!"

The girl looked up from her meal. "Stop me? Why?"

Kazuichi nearly tripped when he saw her. "Ah! You're here!"

"Yes?" Chiaki tilted her head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She was a lot more mellow now that she was eating, which was good in Naruto's book. They didn't need another wild person. They already had Akane for that. On a related note, the gymnast was scarfing down what looked to be her tenth serving of the stew. It was a good thing Teruteru brought the whole pot with him, or else Akane might have rioted.

"A-Anyway, I demand a break!" Kazuichi crossed his arms and scowled. "I've already had to do way too much around here!"

As the mechanic said this, Mikan looked at the pot filled with stew with a wanting look. She hadn't eaten and was really hungry. But should she get some? Would it annoy the others if she did?

So many questions!

"But, Soda-san, this is for the animals in need of families," Sonia spoke up, her face disapproving. "We must work hard for that goal!"

"Yes, of course, Miss Sonia! I totally agree!"

"This guy….." Naruto sweatdropped, as did Ryota and Mahiru. Hiyoko looked plain disgusted.

"He's a total dog, I swear."

"H-Hey, there's no reason to be so brutal!" Kazuichi cried out, still not happy that Hiyoko was always ready to pick on him. He had feelings too.

"Just start eating," Naruto called out to him as he petted Kurama. The little fox's fur was really soft. "We wouldn't want you dropping dead."

"Don't be so morbid," Kazuichi muttered under his breath but went to grab a share of the stew for himself.

Seeing this, Mikan decided that it might be safe for her as well and followed Kazuichi's example.

"Look at all these kittens, enjoying my food." Teruteru whistled. "It's a nice sight, isn't it?"

"Are you secretly a sadist, Teruteru?" Naruto had to ask.

"Hmm, I don't know." The cook genuinely pondered the question. "I generally prefer being on the receiving end of a good punishment, but I suppose I don't mind dishing out some as well. If I feel like it that is. Hahahaha."

Naruto really didn't need to hear that.

"But anyway, Uzumaki-kun! We must make sure to get our hands on this photo album at all costs!"

"You're still on that….."

"They will be hard to acquire," Teruteru said, ignoring Naruto's total lack of interest. "I'm sure they'll be sold out within the first day. That is why we must plan our strategy well."

Naruto noticed Mikan joining them on the stage with a plate full of the delicious stew while Teruteru ranted on.

"They will be sold in specific stores, so we must camp out. We'll need to beat the competition, so I suggest arriving at least three days in advance."

Three days? This idol obsession was something else.

"A-Am I interrupting?" Mikan asked softly as she sat next to the blond.

"Nah, Teruteru is just fantasizing about this photo album."

"O-Oh."

That didn't sound all that interesting to the nurse.

"I don't think you understand how serious this is, Uzumaki-kun." Teruteru waved his finger in front of Naruto's face. "Every hot-blooded male in Japan will be fighting to get their hands on this photo album! Even married men!"

Mikan squeaked. "M-Married men?"

But cheating was wrong!

"I think you're over exaggerating," Naruto said dryly, not believing the short cook for a second.

Teruteru looked disappointed. "It seems I must teach you the wonders of Maizono Sayaka-sama so that you may finally understand."

Wait, _-sama_? Seriously?

"What are you guys talking about?" Nekomaru joined them on the stage, his chains clanking with every step.

"Woah, is that Maizono Sayaka? The hottest idol in Japan!?" Kazuichi noticed the picture on Teruteru's phone as he followed behind Nekomaru, curious about what the commotion was about.

"Ew, he really just said that." Hiyoko covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono from where she sat, having heard Kazuichi's outburst. "You're really just a loser virgin, aren't you?"

"Why are you always saying something snide about me!?" Kazuichi cried out, ready to burst into tears.

"It's still inappropriate," Mahiru said, her face deadpanned. "Talking about girls like that."

Naruto raised his arms in surrender. "Hey, wasn't me."

Mahiru didn't look convinced. "Are you sure you're not interested as well, Naruto-san? After all, you do seem like the type."

Oi, that was profiling!

...was it?

"Oh, you don't have to worry, Koizumi-san." Teruteru shot the girl a wink. "I'm sure Uzumaki-kun has _those_ thoughts about you as well."

Mahiru's whole face burned red, but from anger or embarrassment it was really hard to tell.

"W-W-Why y-y-you no good pervert!"

"Hehehe, thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment!"

Clearly she didn't understand Teruteru's thought process.

Mikan had to fiddle with her fingers, her face red as well. Did Naruto really think about Mahiru like that? Did he prefer a girl's body to be slender, like Mahiru's?

'I-If he had those t-thoughts about me…..'

She couldn't finish that thought, lest she passed out from the embarrassment.

Hiyoko had to sneer in Teruteru's direction. "You really are disgusting, aren't you?"

That should have been _very_ obvious by now.

"Oh, an idol? It would be amazing to meet one! I've always heard great things about them!" Unlike Teruteru, Sonia was more innocent about the whole thing.

"Ibuki wouldn't mind doing a collab with such a talented person~" Ibuki had heard of this idol before. How could she not? They were both in the music industry, and Maizono Sayaka was one of the most popular names out there. But their genres couldn't be more different.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Hiyoko was totally on board with that. If it meant she could listen to Ibuki's music some more, then she was on board with almost anything really.

"Eh? Sounds boring to me." Akane stopped eating for just a second to say that before continuing with her thirteenth serving. It was just too delicious! She couldn't stop shoving it in her mouth!

"Ahaha, I think you guys are getting the wrong idea about this," Teruteru said, chuckling awkwardly. He just wanted the photo album, nothing else. Well, meeting Maizono in person wouldn't be so bad either.

'Oho, my buddy is standing up in excitement again!'

Yeah, his motivations were really twisted.

"I wouldn't mind getting one for myself too," Kazuichi admitted before realizing his mistake. "Ah, b-but you're still number one, Miss Sonia! No one can beat you."

Sonia either didn't hear him or didn't care as she didn't respond. She simply kept eating as she sat next to the quiet Chiaki.

'Harsh,' Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as Kazuichi cried to himself for being so blatantly ignored. Hiyoko on the other hand snickered at the sight. It was always fun seeing Kazuichi suffer.

Yeah, she still had her mean streak.

"Hah, I know nothing about idols," Nekomaru said, "so I don't understand why you're so excited about this."

Good old Nekomaru. Always so innocent and sincere with his words and actions. That's why someone like him could never understand the intentions of Teruteru, who was the exact opposite.

"We'll make a plan of this later." Teruteru started to comb his hair again. "We shall march toward our destiny, sooner rather than later."

That sounded cool, but given the motivation behind it, Naruto couldn't really get excited. It was just a photo album. Why make such a big deal about it?

'I'll never understand perverts.'

Even after having one for a teacher.

'I really am surrounded by idiots,' Ryota thought to himself as he sat in silence.

He just knew he was going to get wrapped up in Teruteru's crazy plan somehow, even if he didn't want to. There was no escaping it by this point.

That's what he got for finally making friends.

* * *

After their eventful meal, the group of **Ultimates** got to work again. Well, only a couple of them still had jobs that needed to be completed. Namely Kazuichi, who was working on another contraption Chiaki had thought of. Namely, the so-called Flour Tower.

'Why did Kuzuryu have to approve of this crap?' he grumbled to himself as he finished setting up some wires, much to Chiaki's delight.

"Amazing! This is amazing, Soda-kun!" the gamer girl cheered from the side. She watched him get the main switch ready for the game or ride. Whatever it was.

Kazuichi's lip twitched a little, almost forming into a half-smile. Okay, having Chiaki cheer for him like this was pretty cool.

'If only it was Miss Sonia.'

Now that would be total bliss.

"Thinking about Sonia again?"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Kazuichi broke into a high-pitch scream when Naruto suddenly appeared next to him.

Naruto's face was amused. Once again, Kurama was resting on top of his head.

"If you could see your face right now."

It was glorious.

"Bastard!" Kazuichi would have punched him if he didn't already know how strong Naruto was. "Why the hell would you scare me like that!?"

"Honestly, I wasn't trying to. Not my fault you're so skittish."

Not even Mikan reacted to his sudden appearances like that. Well, not anymore.

Kazuichi gritted his teeth in annoyance. 'Blond bastard.'

"Uzumaki-kun!" A pouting Chiaki got the blond's attention. "Don't interrupt Soda-kun! The best game for the festival still isn't ready yet!"

"Is that all I am to you!? A slave!?" Kazuichi said with wide eyes.

"I think a tool is more like it," Naruto blurted out.

"That isn't any better!"

Naruto never said it was.

Mikan came running towards them, looking completely out of breath as she came to a stop next to the pouting Chiaki.

"T-There you are, Naruto-san! I was worried when you suddenly disappeared."

"Sorry about that," Naruto said sheepishly. "I just wanted to see Chiaki's crazy idea come to life."

If Chiaki took insult to his words, she didn't show it. She was probably too excited to care.

"W-Well, just let me where you're going next time…..." Mikan trailed off, blushing a little. It was only by luck that she was able to find him, and even then she had checked four different areas before coming here.

Kazuichi looked on with jealousy. "Seriously, why do you get all the attention? I call hacks."

Thankfully, he didn't say this loud enough for Chiaki or Mikan to hear him, just Naruto.

"Attention?" Naruto repeated, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"That too! Your attitude pisses me off. It's like you're the main character of an eroge. Getting girls without trying. It's not fair!"

An eroge? What the hell was that?

"Why are you always speaking in riddles? I don't get you."

Kazuichi wanted to rip his hair out. "Urgh, I really want to punch you right now. Can I? Just once! It'll make me feel better."

Naruto snorted. "What? Are you pissed that Sonia blew you off again?"

It wasn't _again_!

"She didn't blow me off!" Kazuichi denied it immediately. "She just hasn't seen my cool side yet. But after the festival, she totally will!"

After all, it was only thanks to his hard work that all the games and fancy decorations were being completed in time. That included the lights that Sonia was so fond of. She would totally take notice of him after this!

Naruto was once again amused, but for totally different reasons.

"You're a funny guy, Kazuichi."

"What was that?" The mechanic scowled as he turned back to the switch that he was working on. As stated, he had already set up the wires which connected it and the tower. He just needed to make sure the switch was calibrated correctly. It was very simple really. The switch was only going to control the flour, when it was dropped and by what amount. If it was more complicated than that, then it would take longer to set up. It was time that they didn't have. That's why simple was better in this case.

"You picking a fight?"

"Not really," Naruto answered truthfully. "It's just funny watching you try to win Sonia over. And a little sad too."

"So you are picking a fight, you bastard!"

He wasn't.

Naruto decided to get to the point. "You do know that you won't catch Sonia's attention like that, right?"

"Huh?" This time, Kazuichi didn't respond right away. Instead, he took a few moments to mull over the implications of Naruto's words. After he did, he looked ready to tackle the blond out of desperation. "H-How do you know that? Did she tell you something!?"

If so, Kazuichi wanted to know ASAP!

"Something like that, yeah."

Speak more clearly, you blond bastard!

"But that's not why I said it. I was actually like you once, so I can tell you from experience that you're going to fail."

Kazuichi froze. Did he hear that right? Did Naruto just say they were the same? But…..that couldn't be. In Kazuichi's mind, Naruto was everything he wanted to be but couldn't. It was no exaggeration either. Of course, he would never say this out loud. It was far too embarrassing. But it was true. Naruto had the confidence that he lacked. He was able to approach Sonia with such ease that it made Kazuichi positively jealous. Just as jealous as when he saw Sonia talking with Gundham. Why couldn't he be like that with the girl?

To be completely honest, in many ways, Kazuichi looked up to Naruto. Not just as a leader, but as a person.

"What are you saying? You're, like, the total opposite of me!" Kazuichi looked annoyed saying this, but it was true. "How can someone cool like you say that you're the same as me?"

It was sad really, but Kazuichi knew that Hiyoko was right with her statements about him. In many ways, he was only trying to act and look cool. It wasn't by choice, though. The only reason he ended up looking like this was by mistake. And he was always trying to seem cool to impress Sonia, not because it was his true character.

Kazuichi was so down with his thoughts that he didn't even pick up on the fact that he just acknowledged Naruto as "cool." Even after vowing to never do it.

Amusing.

Naruto almost fell over in laughter. "What are you talking about? I know I like to toot my own horn, but no one is perfect." He certainly wasn't. Especially when he was younger. "Point is, I had my own crazy crush on a friend of mine, and it didn't end pretty."

Now this was news to Kazuichi. "She rejected you?"

"Constantly, yeah!"

Kazuichi's eye twitched. Why the hell did he look so happy admitting to this? Usually, a failed romance was supposed to be embarrassing!

"It wasn't until later that I realized my feelings for her weren't as genuine as I thought." Naruto paused again, but for a different reason this time. "No, I didn't phrase that right. More like…..I thought my love for her was romantic but in reality it was the love of a friend. Of family."

It was a conclusion Naruto had arrived at recently. Right after his fight with Pain in fact. Sakura's "confession" had only sealed it.

To Kazuichi, it sort of made sense, what Naruto was saying. But he still didn't fully understand. "What are you getting at? Are you saying that I don't love Miss Sonia?"

"Nope. Only you can answer that." Only you yourself could be sure of your own feelings. That was fact. "What I am saying is that you're making the same mistake I did and not approaching Sonia correctly."

Again, Kazuichi didn't get it. He scratched his head under his cap. "Not approaching her correctly? What the heck does that mean?"

Naruto sighed. This guy...

"Tell me, Kazuichi. What do you know about Sonia?"

"Um." Kazuichi took a second to consider the question. "She's a hot, blonde princess. Duh."

Naruto deadpanned. "Wow."

"D-Don't start judging me!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "And besides, I'm not wrong! She is a hot, blonde princess! Or what, are you saying she's ugly?"

This guy was a total idiot. Maybe that's why Naruto felt so compelled to help him. Because he was an idiot too.

"I'm not saying that. But besides her looks and her status, what else do you see in her?"

Kazuichi had no answer for this. He wanted to answer it so badly, just to piss Naruto off, but he had nothing.

"That's my point," Naruto said, speaking softer this time. "That friend I was talking about earlier? I did the same thing to her. I never really bothered to stop and think why I actually liked her and only ever pushed myself on her."

It was hilariously sad how things had gone down back in the Academy. Naruto's crush on Sakura had been a terrible misunderstanding on his part. No, perhaps not a misunderstanding. More like….an illusion, born from his rivalry with Sasuke. He never really bothered to get to know Sakura, and instead just didn't want to lose to Sasuke. Not even in romance.

Eventually he did get close to her, and he wasn't mistaken about his image of her. She was a wonderful friend, one of his very closest friends in fact. But that's all it was. Naruto could see Sakura as a sister in many ways, just as he saw Sasuke as a brother.

Kakashi would probably be the perverted and laid back uncle in that scenario then. Pretty fitting all things considered.

"I-I'm not pushing myself on her," Kazuichi denied, but he didn't sound confident. Maybe it was because he was finally grasping what Naruto was telling him.

"You are, especially whenever you call her a princess or put her on a pedestal." Naruto leaned in and said, "I'll let you in on a little secret here. The last thing Sonia wants is to be seen as a princess by us. She only wants to be treated like a normal girl. When you refer to her as a princess, you're only reminding her of her status back home. It probably feels like you're alienating her from the rest of us. Is it that surprising that she wouldn't like that?"

It was almost like Buddha himself had come to Kazuichi and given him a lesson in enlightenment. His face went from surprised to utterly dumbfounded as he took in what Naruto had to say.

But was that really it? Was Sonia reacting so negatively to him because his actions were inadvertently treating her like an outsider? That's the exact opposite of what Kazuichi wanted! It got even worse when Kazuichi realized that he was practically doing the same thing he hated other people doing to him. Judging him for his appearance. He had put Sonia in a box without considering her own feelings.

Oh god.

Naruto stepped back and nodded. "Now you see."

It was a lesson he had learned, so he wanted to make sure Kazuichi did too.

"I can't believe this." Kazuichi's voice came out as hollow. "So all this time, I've been sabotaging my own self."

Holy shit. They weren't wrong when they said romance was a battlefield. Analyzing your own moves was very important. And Kazuichi had failed to do that.

Kazuichi then shook his head. "Wait, why are you even helping me anyway?"

He still didn't get that part.

"Why? Should I not?" Naruto cocked his head, confused by Kazuichi's question. "It's normal to help a friend out, right?"

Kazuichi was left dumbfounded again. He honestly thought the blond didn't think much of him. Or maybe that was just his past issues surfacing up again. Kazuichi wouldn't say he _distrusted_ other people, but after what had happened with his former best friend, it was hard for him to easily expect friendship from others.

Maybe that was another aspect of Naruto's character that he was jealous of. The blond was able to make friends with others so easily and make them feel comfortable. Hell, he was doing the same thing with Kazuichi right now! Despite the fact that Kazuichi wanted to stay disgruntled towards Naruto, he found that he really couldn't. Not seriously anyway.

'Stupid blond.' He cursed again. Kazuichi was really bitter about this. But it was a childish form of bitterness, much like the annoyance he felt towards Naruto's lack of understanding in romantic cues.

Nevertheless, appreciation began to rise in Kazuichi's heart in the middle of all this. Even if he would never admit to that too.

It was also nice to see Naruto in a new light. Just like with Sonia, Kazuichi had perhaps begun to unintentionally put Naruto in a pedestal as well, seeing him like the absolutely perfect guy. And that just wouldn't do.

But then the most troubling part of all of this dawned on Kazuichi.

"Wait a second. I just got love advice from the densest guy I know…..."

NO WAY! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? Kazuichi was sure he was better than this!

Naruto felt insulted. "Dense? What the hell are you saying?"

He wasn't dense! If someone had feelings for him, he would know right away! And he totally wouldn't make the same mistake Kazuichi was doing. Not again. So how was he dense!?

"Don't start! You're denser than a rock! You can't even see what's right in front of you! I mean, how could someone be this stupid!?"

"Stupid am I!? If I'm stupid, then what are you!?"

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"It totally does, you shitty mechanic!"

"Say what!? I don't care if you are a ninja! I'll beat your ass!"

"Bring it! Anytime, anywhere!"

The two started to butt heads. Kazuichi might have a newfound appreciation for Naruto, but that didn't mean his frustrations with the guy were thrown out the window. He was still annoying in so many ways!

To the side, Chiaki took all of this in with a blank look while Mikan stood next to her. "Hmm. I think we might have been forgotten."

Normally, Mikan would feel sadness because of something like this. Being ignored was the last thing she wanted, after all. Especially from Naruto. But after seeing Naruto and Kazuichi acting so close, it just made her heart get all warm.

"I think it's nice that they're getting along."

"Are they really?" Chiaki didn't see it. She just saw two guys fighting over something stupid.

But then again…..

'Hmm…..'

She looked closer and saw that there wasn't any real spite in either Naruto or Kazuichi. They were cursing each other out, sure, but they were having fun? Perhaps this was another way to bond with people that she didn't know about. It wouldn't be the first time.

In the end, Chiaki could only come to one conclusion.

"Boys are weird."

Mikan giggled, silently agreeing. Still, the nurse wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Hey, hey. What's your favorite type of girl, Uzumaki-kun? Do you like them with curves or flat and tight?"

"Urgh, why are we talking about this again?"

And watch your phrasing!

"You're the one only one who wasn't shown their true colors yet. We need to confirm where you stand! We can't betray each other."

Naruto really had the worst of luck, didn't he? Not only did he get stuck with Teruteru, but Kazuichi was here too. The three boys were out by the front gates of the school. The sun was starting to descend already, which marked the beginning of the end of this long day.

Finally.

Kurama was resting inside Naruto's bag again. After all the excitement today, he was probably exhausted.

"We gotta make sure we don't cross each other's paths," Kazuichi said, carrying on. "I know you gotta be going for someone. Hell, even Kuzuryu has Pekoyama!"

Seriously? Ibuki must have said something to him, didn't she? That girl…...

"Who has who, you bastard?"

Kazuichi almost screamed for help when Fuyuhiko's aggravated voice reached him.

"Ah, Fuyuhiko." Naruto saw the yakuza approach them with Gundham in tow. Good, an escape. "I take it everything is going well?"

"Basically, yeah."

"H'mph." Gundham crossed his arms. "Do not doubt our efforts. All the familiars are aware of what's coming." A small smile graced his lips. "They are most excited for what the coming days will bring."

Naruto was sure that meant that the animals were looking forward to getting adopted.

Awesome.

"Anyway, what's happening with you guys?" Fuyuhiko asked. He had left the park early, so he didn't get to see the rest of the construction.

"Great, I guess. Only one of Chiaki's crazy games didn't get installed today."

A fact the girl had been sad about. But Kazuichi was adamant about working on it later. He didn't want to be left alone in the park while everyone else went back to their dorms and/or homes. Or in Sonia's case, her hotel.

Fuyuhiko looked put off by the mention of Chiaki's name. "Her again. What a troublesome bastard. I think she got too excited with making these games. Is she trying to kill people?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, but I don't see the harm. At least she toned it down."

"Barely."

Oh well. Chiaki was having fun. That's all that mattered.

Fuyuhiko pushed that aside and said, "What's happening here anyway? Are you guys going out?"

Naruto gave the grinning Teruteru a side glance. "This guy hasn't stopped bugging me about this photo album he wants to get. I don't know why Kazuichi is here."

"What was that!?" Kazuichi scowled. "I just want to make sure we get our stories straight!"

Fuyuhiko clicked his teeth together in annoyance. "Not this crap again."

He had enough of Kazuichi's crazy fantasias to last him a lifetime.

"Oh shut it! I already know you're going after Pekoyama!" Kazuichi retorted.

The way Fuyuhiko's face lit up was kind of funny actually. Naruto made sure to keep this to himself, though.

"S-Say what!?" Fuyuhiko nearly shook his fist at Kazuichi as he tried to get his blush under control but had little success. "Who the hell said that!? Don't be getting the wrong idea, or I'll cut you!"

"Ha." Kazuichi smirked. "Your threats don't bother me now. I know you're a softy."

This guy. Was he really brave or just stupid?

"Why you…..." Fuyuhiko tried to look murderous, but the blush really wasn't helping his image.

But man, Naruto was a bit surprised. Okay, more like really surprised. Fuyuhiko _was_ interested in Peko, after all?

'I thought Ibuki was just joking about that…...'

The girl really was sharper than he gave her credit for.

Teruteru whistled in contentment. "There is no need to be so shy, Kuzuryu-kun. We are all men here. But I must say, you have really good taste. Pekoyama-san looks to be quite the freak in bed, if the black thong she's wearing is anything to go by."

How the hell!?

Naruto felt himself turning red by this knowledge. "How do you know she's wearing a thong…..?"

Many things were different in this world. Women's panties? Not one of them.

Teruteru patted himself on the chest, looking proud. "Ohohohoho. A master never reveals his secrets, Uzumaki-kun."

This guy. He was totally going to get murdered one day, wasn't he?

"T'ch, just let Pekoyama hear you say that." Fuyuhiko looked more calm now. Maybe Teruteru's stupidity had helped? "She'll slice you in half."

Naruto didn't doubt that for a second.

Teruteru didn't seem to mind. "I can't help but bring out the passion in women. I'm just that irresistible I suppose. Ahahaha."

"Your confidence is for sure," Naruto said, shaking his head.

Gundham didn't look amused either. "H'mph, perverted creature."

Kazuichi nearly rolled his eyes as he pointed at Naruto, Gundham, and Fuyuhiko.

"You three may try to act pure, but deep down you know you agree with us. We gotta make the best of our high school lives!"

Why was he always going on about that? Naruto didn't understand it at all.

"But you can keep your hands off Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi focused on Gundham. "I just got some useful inside information today. I'll definitely defeat you!"

Gundham cackled. "Fuhahahaha. How amusing, Soda. If I were to even release one percent of my power, you'd be incinerated in an instant!"

"Your mumble-jumble crap won't work here!"

"Mumble-jumble? You dare to insult the Overlord of Ice!?"

"Overlord of crap is more like it!"

Naruto had to turn away from the stupid argument. "Well, they're going at it again."

Fuyuhiko shook his head in disdain. "They'll never learn."

"Mhmm, I don't mind." Teruteru grinned. "Their passion is more than enough to excite me!"

Naruto got the feeling that there were probably very few things that didn't excite the cook.

"But returning to our initial topic, Uzumaki-kun." Oh please no. "We must get our hands on this photo album when it comes out. We just must!"

Fuyuhiko raised an eyebrow. "Photo album?"

Naruto looked down, dismayed. "This guy is obsessed with this idol who's apparently releasing a photo album in a couple of months."

Fuyuhiko wasn't surprised at all.

"And if their band holds a meet-and-greet, we must attend that as well!"

"You'd probably just get arrested," Fuyuhiko said, snorting at the thought of Teruteru in the same room with an idol.

That poor girl.

Naruto was of the same mind. "There's no telling what you'd try to do. She might need a whole team of trained guards just to get her out of there alive."

Teruteru sweatdropped. "Um, you guys. That's just hurtful."

But wasn't it the truth?

"H'mph, you and your pitiful skills can't even hope to match my Four Dark Devas of Destruction! You dare to think you can stand before me!? Your pitiable delusions are worthy of damnation, you mortal."

"Your hamsters aren't worth crap! I'll squash them! Just watch me!"

And those two were still going at it.

Naruto was just surrounded by idiots, wasn't he?

* * *

That night, Naruto worked at the ramen shop as usual. He made sure to sneak in some snacks for Kurama now and then, but nothing eventful happened really. Sonia wasn't able to come in today, though. So that was the only "strange" part of Naruto's shift. The girl was probably too exhausted from her excitement to come, sort of like Kurama.

Did he just compare Sonia with Kurama?

He did. And Naruto didn't regret it.

'Hopefully I can get more training in this weekend after the festival,' Naruto thought as he made his way outside after his shift was done. It was already dark out, with the moon shining brightly down from the sky.

He wondered what the others were doing for a moment. Probably resting? Well, maybe except for Nekomaru.

The poor guy had practically been dragged off by Akane after their work had been finished today, demanding another fight. According to Nekomaru, the girl was asking him for a fight almost every hour of the day.

She was persistent, that much was true. It really reminded Naruto of how he was back when he first became a genin, always wanting to fight Sasuke at every turn.

How nostalgic.

Even as engrossed with his thoughts as he was, Naruto still felt the kick coming for his head and dodged appropriately, disappearing in a blur as he jumped into the air.

Okay, what the hell?

Naruto took care to land softly so as to not disturb the sleeping Kurama in his bag. "Okay, who's asking for an ass kicking?"

Who would even bother to randomly attack him in the middle of the night anyway?

Really, he never should have asked.

"There you are!" The wild looking Akane took her place on the other side of the street and faced him. Her clothes looked a bit tattered, and she herself was bruised a little. "It took me a while to pick up your scent, but I finally found ya!"

Okay?

"What do you want, Akane?"

After everything that had happened today, Naruto just wanted to lie in bed and sleep. He was more tired than usual. He wondered why.

Akane had a different idea. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to challenge you to a fight!"

Seriously?

The blond massage his forehead. "Didn't you already challenge Nekomaru?"

And from the looks of it, he had crushed her.

Akane scoffed. "That's that, and this is this! I gotta see if I'm any closer to beating you!"

"And you think challenging me after having already fought against someone else will help?"

"Yes. What's wrong with that?"

How simple minded was this girl?

Naruto realized something more important here.

"You're not going to let me go until I fight you, are you?"

Akane's grin was feral. "What do you think?"

Welp. There went his sleep.

"Fine." Naruto smirked. "But for disrupting my sleep, I won't hold back against you."

That's exactly what Akane was looking for.

* * *

It didn't take long for the pair to find a secluded spot under a bridge for them to duke it out. There was a beautiful stream to the side as well. It looked like a nice place to chill out, but that wasn't why they were here tonight.

Naruto made sure to set his bag away from where the action was going to take place. The last thing he wanted was for Kurama to get caught in the crossfire.

Akane was nice enough to wait for him to do that. She knew just how much she cared about the little fox. She cared too, even if only a little. But after he did, the glove was off. She went charging for him without a word, just wanting to get the fight started already.

Naruto's eyebrow rose as he dodged the girl's first punch.

'She's…..'

Akane was faster than before. Not by much, but enough for it to be noticeable. Was it because of her constant training with him and Nekomaru over the last couple of days? But for her to already be showing signs of growth….

No wonder she was an **Ultimate**.

Unaware of his thoughts, Akane came back around with a back fist, just as fast as her initial strike.

Naruto dodged this too, easily side-stepping for a second time. He didn't bother to wait for a second counter-strike from the girl, and so he delivered a swift but powerful low spinning sweep kick that had Akane falling to the ground on her back.

The gymnast had to process what had just happened for a moment before growling. She got back up and rushed for Naruto again.

The blond hadn't been expecting anything else from her by this point.

The two became blurs as they continued to trade blows with one another. If anyone was nearby, all they would hear is the exchange of fists and kicks.

From Akane's perspective, she immediately saw the difference in Naruto's moves from their initial fight in the camping trip. He was no longer as reserved with his attacks as before. If asked before this fight, Akane would have categorized Naruto as a responsive fighter. Now, he was more of an offensive fighter. Or maybe it was more like he was a mixture of both?

It was clear why Naruto would change his attack pattern, if you knew that his Frog Kata based taijutsu was linked to Sage Mode. Frog Kata was a clear and precise defense-and-attack style. This worked perfectly with the enhanced senses that Sage Mode provided you with. Problem is, Naruto no longer had those enhanced senses. Sure, his natural reaction time was still there, but it was nothing compared to what Sage Mode provided him with. That's why Naruto no longer preferred to stay on the defensive and wait to react to his opponent's moves. That was too risky in his mind.

In this world, there were many different styles of fighting. Naruto wasn't content with just specializing in one, though. That would be too simple for his tastes. That's why he and Nekomaru were working on incorporating different techniques from different branches of martial arts into his new fighting style. It wouldn't be a singular style, but more like a jack-of-all-trades. Naruto felt this worked best for him.

That's why, unlike last time, Akane found herself on the receiving end of several strikes that had her winded and panting heavily.

Naruto meant what he said earlier. He wasn't going to go easy on her.

"You….." She held her stomach, wincing as more pain spread throughout her body. She had witnessed Naruto and Nekomaru training for the past couple of days, but being on the receiving end of Naruto's hits was something else entirely.

"You're not as durable as Nekomaru," Naruto noted once again, calm and untouched. Akane hadn't managed to deal a single him to him thus far. "You're still slower than him too."

Naruto had tanked several of Nekomaru's hits. Not because he had wanted to, but because the guy had managed to catch him off guard on several occasions. Mostly because Naruto had been surprised by how much damage the team manager could take. It was impressive.

Akane gritted her teeth, frustrated. She didn't need to hear this.

"Shut up! I'm just….getting….star….."

The rest of her statement went unsaid as her vision began to blur, and she lost her balance.

Not good.

Naruto saw this and was next to her in an instant, catching her before she could hit the ground.

"Woah there. We can't have you passing out in public like this."

It wouldn't be good for her health.

"S-Shut up." Akane wanted to punch him so badly, but she no longer had any strength left. "Just because you're stronger….."

Naruto sighed. "It's not about that. You went and fought Nekomaru, and probably only stopped after he pounded you to the ground. And then you went straight to challenging me. I don't care how good you think you are. That's just insane."

What did she think was going to happen?

"Come on, I'll help you back to your dorm-"

"I don't need you to!"

Naruto stopped. There was something else in Akane's voice just now. Something akin to fear.

But what could she be afraid of? That just didn't make sense.

Akane pushed him away, or at least tried to. But Naruto held her firmly.

"I'm not weak. I don't need your help."

Is that what this was about?

Naruto looked at her. "Do you think you're weak, Akane?"

"I'm not." Akane shot him a glare. "I'll never be again. So let me go already."

Hmm. There was more to this, wasn't there?

"Is that why you keep challenging me and Nekomaru? Because you don't want to look weak?"

If so, that was stupid.

Akane looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Why was everyone always so difficult? It wasn't hard being honest!

...okay, it was. But Naruto wasn't one to give up easily. Or at all.

"You know you can-"

"Talking would just make me feel weak again." There was no brashness this time. No, Akane's voice was soft. Softer than any other time Naruto had heard it. It caught him off guard honestly. "I can't be weak. I can't be afraid. I just can't."

This girl. She really was simple minded, wasn't she?

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

Despite her protests, Naruto sat Akane on the ground next to him, the two facing the stream.

She glared at him. "You're lucky I can't move right now."

Indeed. But that was her fault, not his.

"You know fear and weakness don't coincide, right?" Naruto said, catching her attention. "Heck, you do know that _everyone_ feels weak at some point, right? I can tell you that I have."

"That's not the point."

Then what was the point?

Akane didn't budge from her position, though. She wasn't going to say anymore.

It was Naruto's turn to glare at her. "Talk. Or I'll make sure Teruteru never cooks for you again."

The threat made all the color leave Akane's face. "You would never-"

"Are you willing to risk it?"

She wasn't.

"T'ch." She looked away from him. "I have people counting on me to help them."

"Your siblings."

She already talked about them before.

"Yeah. It wasn't much, but I did what I could do to earn money to help. My parents don't work, so as the oldest it's only natural that I would. I even sold my used panties to this one noisy pig."

Okay, what?

"Seriously, where are you from?"

"From a trashy place where crappy people come together. It isn't surprising to see a dead boy next to the trash where I'm from." Akane didn't sound all that bothered by this at all. She must have been desensitized after being exposed to that environment for so long.

"That's the only reason I came to this school," she added. "For the success. That's what they say anyway."

Naruto could see that. That was basically one of Hope's Peak Academy's best selling points. If you managed to graduate, you were set for life.

But he was beginning to understand now.

"So that's why you think you have to be strong all the time? For your siblings?"

And for herself? Akane had already pretty much confessed to seeing death before. In face of stuff like that, "being strong" was probably one of her coping mechanisms.

"Huh? Isn't that obvious?" Akane sounded really annoyed. She wasn't happy talking about this. Not at all. It brought feelings she'd rather just suppressed. "There is no point in being weak. If you're weak, nothing will happen. Nothing will change. That's why I'll never be weak. I'll never be afraid. You got that?"

There it was. She was finally open with her feelings.

"You really are simple minded."

"Urk!" Akane was forced to look at the blond, now angry. "W-What did you just say!?"

"You heard me." Naruto wasn't afraid to repeat himself. "You honestly think running away from your feelings makes you weak? It's the opposite. You're not strong for it. It just makes you no better than a child."

"W-Why you!" Akane began to squirm, no doubt trying to force herself to move so that she could hit him. "What makes you think you can understand, huh? Don't talk about stuff you know nothing about!"

It was really surprising, to see this side of Akane. She was usually only going on about food or fighting, but beneath all that was an insecure girl.

Talk about a one-eighty.

Naruto didn't mind, though.

"Everyone feels scared, Akane. Everyone feels weakness at one point or another." Naruto repeated himself, because it was the truth. His eyes hardened, and it was enough to make Akane freeze. "You're not lower than anyone else because you feel these emotions. It just makes you human. You're allowed to. You might be tough and fast, but you're also a person with emotions. Running from them won't make you strong. It's only when you face your fears that you're able to overcome them. Accept them and learn to live with them. That's what real strength is all about."

Akane went silent, and Naruto didn't know if the girl would start yelling at him again or what. But instead, she lowered her head.

"I really don't like you right now," she said, speaking softly again. "You're making me feel weak. I was always strong when I was alone."

Naruto didn't interrupt her.

"But you're also…..warm," she added, sounding embarrassed to admit that. "And bright. And your scent…..it's like that of the sun."

Bigger surprise. Naruto had no idea Akane was capable of saying something like that. This girl had many surprises to her, didn't she?

"Well, I don't know about smelling like the sun, but it's true that I have two suns that have supported me for all my life."

His parents. It was just like Bee had told the Raikage. Maybe that's what Akane was trying to get across as well.

Naruto smiled. "Like I said before, you're not alone anymore, Akane. We can all help you. It won't make you weak. You'll be stronger."

That's what bonds were all about, after all.

"T-Then…..." In another surprising move, Akane engulfed him in a hug, her arms shaking. It was almost like this was the first time she was hugging someone. "I-I'll make sure to hold you to that."

Naruto began to blush a bit, but he hugged her back.

"No worries. I'll make sure to keep it."

He always followed through with his promises.

"But if you tell anyone about this, I'll break your spine."

Even though Naruto knew he was stronger than her, the threat still left him turning whiter than snow.

"Y-Yeah, um. It'll be our secret. Ahahaha…..."

No way he was risking it. Better for him to just enjoy the hug and keep quiet.

And so, it was like that that the girl known as Owari Akane let her defenses down and became "weak." It was something she hadn't done in a very long time. Years even.

But it was fine. Because she learned it was okay to feel this way.

* * *

 **Flags. Flags everywhere. Who shall win?** _ **Only I know….**_

 **On a serious note, we are finally almost at the end of this arc. Two more chapters remain. Yeah, I know I said that last time. But these last two chapters really snuck up on me. But seriously, I have no idea how I thought I could fit all of this in only two chapters. I must have been going crazy.**

 **I think I already addressed this before, but if you guys want me to include the V3 class, then just ask. If there's enough support, I'll include them.**

 **Eventually.**

 **But I think that's all for me today.**

 **Till next time.**


	16. Ultimate Hope

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15:  
** **Ultimate Hope**

When Naruto woke up the next morning, he still felt a little tired. Maybe it was because a lot of stuff had happened the previous day. No, it wasn't just yesterday. The last several days had been really packed for him. From the festival preparations, to bonding more closely with his new friends. It felt like his life was a lot more busy now than ever before.

Or maybe it was just his imagination.

Despite his mental fatigue, Naruto still got up early for his morning exercise like usual. Kurama joined him of course. Unlike him, the little fox seemed to be well rested.

Tengan wasn't at the house today, but that didn't surprise the blond. The man hadn't been kidding when he said that he was always dealing with other stuff. Naruto had to wonder what being an advisor to Hope's Peak Academy entailed. The school was really prominent all throughout the country, so it wasn't hard to imagine that it was involved in many affairs.

Naruto knew there was more about the school that he didn't know, though. Heck, the Reserve Department was a big example of this. He was still wondering why Tengan hadn't mentioned it to him before. Or even the headmaster. It was a big part of the school. He was sure that there were more students in that department than there were **Ultimates**. So why?

'Maybe it's not important?'

No, he didn't buy that. Moreover, he was still confused about the decision to have such a department in the first place. It wasn't that he had anything against the so-called "normal" students. He just found it weird that a school all about talent would ever consider admitting students without one. Didn't that go against their original purpose?

Or maybe he was just overthinking the whole thing. He knew the others didn't really care about the Reserve Course. Mikan had pretty much admitted to this already. But still, Naruto was curious to know more.

A closer look around later probably wouldn't hurt, as opposed to just the quick glance he took earlier with Mikan. Mahiru said she had a friend there, didn't she? Maybe that was his ticket in.

Wait, why did he even need an excuse like that? There was no rule prohibiting him from going to the Reserve Course. It was only the Reserve Course students that couldn't go into the Main Building.

'Gotta ask about that too.'

Still, there was no reason to rush. Naruto was sure that he had plenty of time to sate his curiosity. Maybe Mahiru would invite her friend to their festival? That would be really convenient.

But anyway, he could worry about that later. Right now, he needed to get to school. He was sure Ibuki wouldn't like it if he skipped practice today. He was already leaving school early since he had that dinner to go to tonight.

'I wonder why they invited me…..'

Fuyuhiko's parents were still confusing to him in some ways. But he had only talked to them once, so that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Ah, he could figure that out later.

After getting back from his morning run and other exercises, Naruto took a quick shower and dressed himself in his uniform. He brought some kunai with him as usual, just to be safe. There was no telling what kind of situation might pop up. Trouble was always following him for some reason.

The blond was in the kitchen when his phone went off of all a sudden. After seeing that it was a call from Fuyuhiko, Naruto answered it.

"Morning, Fuyuhiko. What's with the call?"

" _Don't give me that. Have you checked your texts from last night at all?"_

"Uh."

No.

Fuyuhiko groaned from the other end. _"Mother.…..you're really annoying sometimes, you know that?"_

Maybe so, but he didn't have to point it out!

"Did I miss something?"

Naruto had practically collapsed on his bed after coming home. The only thing he had managed to do before then was giving Kurama his dinner. That quick bout with Akane had zapped him from any remaining energy he might have had last night. Making sure she got back to her dorm room was just icing on the exhausted cake...okay, he could have used a better example there.

The hug had been really nice, though. Despite her active and hectic routine, Akane had a really soft body.

...okay, moving on.

" _Yes, you did, shithead. We're supposed to be meeting right now."_

Wait, what? It was still only eight o'clock!

" _Let me guess,"_ Fuyuhiko said, _"you didn't check Koizumi's flyers, did you?"_

"Uh."

Well, there was his answer.

" _Don't bother. We're supposed to wear kimonos for tomorrow."_

They were?

"We were?"

" _Yes. It was Sonia's idea. Since it's a Japanese festival, she said that it was only appropriate that we wear kimonos to go along with it. Fucking stupid if you ask me. She probably just wants to try them out."_

That would make sense. Sonia was basically up for trying anything Japanese related. Well, more like she was up for anything new. And for her, "new" was pretty much anything that was common to the rest of them. Such was the life of a sheltered princess.

" _The girls already left. We were waiting for you, but since you were taking your sweet time, I decided to check up on you. Good thing I did too. Who knows when your punk ass would have shown up otherwise."_

"I was almost ready," Naruto defended himself, his eyebrow twitching. "And anyway, you guys need to be more clear about these things!"

How was he supposed to know!?

" _We were."_ The exasperation was clear in Fuyuhiko's voice. _"Do you ever check your phone?"_

"…...sometimes."

He still wasn't used to having one, okay! Combine that with his exhaustion, and it was only natural that he wouldn't have checked it all night.

" _T'ch, whatever. Just get your ass over here. Our ride can't wait forever."_

Yeah, yeah.

The call ended after that, leaving Naruto to look at Kurama who was on lying on the counter and staring back at him.

"Well, looks like we got another busy day ahead of us, Kurama."

And yet, Naruto didn't mind that at all.

* * *

Naruto made sure to keep Kurama well-hidden in his school bag as he and the other guys all arrived at a luxurious looking store somewhere in the city. It was the kind of place Naruto knew he would never step foot in otherwise.

"Damn." Kazuichi looked shocked by the store's aura. He knew only rich people would ever come to this kind of place. "I've never been to a store like this before."

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "H'mph, what did you expect? The yakuza only deal with the best."

He sounded very proud of this fact.

"So does your family own this place or what?" Naruto asked.

"My old man dabbles in businesses, yes."

That…..didn't really answer the question, though.

Kazuichi gulped. "Going to a yakuza owned store…...never thought I would be saying that."

How times changed.

Nagito chuckled. "I think it's exciting! We are seeing the fruits of Kuzuryu-kun's talent with our own eyes."

"You're not helping," Kazuichi grumbled. But this was nothing new. He and Nagito were always at odds…..well, Kazuichi was always at odds with Nagito. Nagito? He didn't notice.

Or he didn't care. With the luckster, it was always hard to tell.

Naruto glanced to Nagito. Their last conversation had been left on a rather sour note yesterday. There were some things he wanted to clear up with Nagito, but it didn't seem like now was the right time. Nagito also didn't look interested to pick things up, since he hadn't mentioned anything when they met up.

'Hm.'

Waiting it is then.

"I don't have anything against kimonos, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get anything to fit me," Nekomaru said, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.

Oh, right. They were here for kimonos.

"Don't underestimate me. We'll accommodate anyone of any size," Fuyuhiko proclaimed.

A bold claim. Nekomaru was huge. Like, really huge. Naruto was sure that all the clothes he owned had to be specifically tailored towards him.

"Never mind that." Teruteru rubbed his chin in thought. "The girls are also here, right? And they're picking out their own kimonos?"

Naruto didn't like where the cook was going with this.

Gundham crossed his arms. "H'mph, what's your point?"

Blood started to drip from the cook's nose. "I think it's obvious what we need to do. To see them in such a wholesome attire…..a kimono is one of the most heavenly outfits in all of Japan! And to have such clothing around their pure bodies…..ooooohhhh, I'm getting excited just thinking about the whole thing!"

Yep, that totally went in the direction Naruto was expecting it to. It would have been nice if he was wrong, though.

"Um, did you already forget that Saionji-san wears a kimono all the time?" Ryota pointed out.

Naruto wanted to facepalm. "Ryota, I think you're focusing on the wrong thing here."

Teruteru wanted to peep. And that was a big no-no. It was one thing in a public place like the lake where it wasn't really "peeping," but this? No way in hell.

"B-But he does have a point," Kazuichi spoke up in a reserved tone, the complete opposite of his usual demeanor. It was clear why this was. He was totally siding with Teruteru on this.

Naruto wasn't having any of it. "Don't start with that crap! Or did you forget how your _brilliant_ plan ended last time!?"

Kazuichi paled at the reminder. He had figured Peko would be the most terrifying of the girls, and while she was scary Mahiru took the cake. If she caught on to this, then there was no telling what she would do to them.

The fact that she was one of the weakest in their group didn't matter. You didn't cross Mahiru. That's what Kazuichi learned during their camping trip.

Nagito hummed, looking thoughtful. "I do believe Uzumaki-kun has a point. I don't think stirring up trouble here with the girls would be a good idea."

"Why would you even go along with it?" Ryota asked, confused. To him, Nagito was one of the smarter ones in this bunch. Not that it was saying much when Teruteru and Kazuichi were around.

"I do believe it's great to cut loose sometimes," Nagito responded, smiling as he almost always did. "But I don't think we should be crossing any lines either."

How responsible.

"Lines are meant to be crossed!" Teruteru exploded, looking ready to rush inside the store and fulfill all his fantasies, no matter how twisted they may be. "If we don't take this opportunity, who knows when another will present itself!?"

Naruto sighed. If they didn't do anything, Teruteru was going to get them all in trouble.

There was only one option here.

"Nekomaru. Hold him."

"GOT IT!" The team manager didn't hesitate to grab a hold of the overly excited cook and keep him in place. Teruteru wasn't going anywhere. Not with Nekomaru as his jailer.

Unfortunately, that only had the opposite effect as Teruteru squealed in glee.

"Oooooohhhh…..to be held so firmly by such a muscular man…..it's great! Totally great! I don't think I can hold back any longer! I-I'm going to explooooodeeeee!"

"W-What's with this feeling of intense bloodlust!?" Nekomaru cried out, unsure of what was happening right now.

Goddammit Teruteru.

Fuyuhiko scowled. "T'ch, keep it down, shitheads. We're drawing too much attention."

Sure enough, a bunch of bystanders were glancing their way, looking confused by their group. It wasn't everyday they saw people with their outlandish looks.

Ryota looked down. "This is already going badly, isn't it?"

"The winds of fate can be very unforgiving," Gundham said in return, glancing to the side.

So was that a yes or a no?

Probably a yes. Nothing was ever simple with this group. And it'll probably never be.

"Oooooohhhhhh...tighter, tighter!"

Dammit Teruteru.

* * *

"Oh my. All of these kimonos are…..."

Mahiru was positively mesmerized by the collection of kimonos that were before her. She didn't exactly have a "rich" background. Her family was very much down the middle really. Which is to say, normally, she would never be able to see kimonos as fine as the ones in front of her. Even less so to be able to take one with her.

Hiyoko was even more excited. Kimonos were her bread and butter, after all. It was just the perfect outfit to wear anywhere and anytime! Even in the jungle!

"It looks like even that lame ass yakuza can do something right once in a while!"

Mikan poked her fingers together. "S-Speaking like that about a classmate is too harsh, especially when they aren't around."

Hiyoko ignored her. She was too busy admiring all the kimonos to be able to respond properly right now.

"Ohohoho, Ibuki is impressed!" Ibuki was already rummaging through a set, feeling the soft texture on her fingers. "This is the first time Ibuki will be performing while wearing a kimono. It'll be quite an experience."

Hopefully it wasn't hard to move in one. But most of all, she was going to have to do some _serious_ customization. Otherwise, Ibuki wouldn't feel comfortable. And being comfortable was key to playing good.

"Hmm." Chiaki was staring blankly ahead. "Are kimonos really that great?"

"I don't get it either," Akane said, picking her ear with disinterest. "Why do we even have to wear these things anyway?"

"Because a Japanese festival calls for kimonos!" Sonia half-said, half-shouted. Her face was bright as she continued, "From what I've read, it's custom for kimonos to be worn during such activities. Since this is my first festival, I feel I should do it right and follow the customs."

"Well, it's more optional nowadays," Mahiru said with a weak smile. Sonia's enthusiasm when it came to Japanese culture could be very overbearing sometimes.

"I-I've never worn a kimono before," Mikan admitted rather timidly. "Are they hard to put on?"

"Ha." Hiyoko shot Mikan a smug look. "The kimono is a sign of high status. It's no wonder pig trash like you has never worn one."

Mikan's eyes widened. "P-Pig trash…..!?"

Friendly reminder that Hiyoko wasn't above picking on anyone if the opportunity rose. Mikan had sort of forgotten about that aspect of Hiyoko's personality. Probably because the dancer liked to behave when Naruto was around. That said, Mikan didn't feel as hurt by it as before. Maybe because she knew Hiyoko didn't really mean it?

Hard to say.

"It is not necessarily hard," Peko said with her eyes closed. "It's rather easy after a while."

Hiyoko huffed and looked away. Easy, she said. If it was easy, then...!

'Then...'

Urgh. In all of her excitement, Hiyoko had forgotten one crucial detail. Something she didn't like to admit. But it was the undeniable truth.

She couldn't tie her kimono. Yes, even though she loved to wear them, she still couldn't tie the sash properly. Or the obi, as it was officially called. That was a job one of her servants performed for her every day. While Hiyoko's family wasn't as grand as Fuyuhiko's or Sonia's, they were still wealthy enough for that kind of thing. Having hired servants, that is.

Thankfully, that wasn't as big of a problem as it was a couple of weeks ago.

Hiyoko's cheeks began to redden.

Mahiru was about to check out a kimono that caught her eye when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She glanced down to see a blushing Hiyoko staring at her expectantly.

"Oh, what's the matter?"

"I-I need your help, Big Sis."

Hiyoko didn't need to say more. Mahiru understood right away.

The redhead smiled. "Sure. I'll be happy to help."

Hiyoko's face glowed, grateful to have Mahiru around.

As the two spoke to themselves, Sonia appeared thoughtful.

"This will be rather difficult."

"Hm?" Peko regarded her with one of her eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this will be the first time I will be going out in public without any undergarments. It will be quite the experience, I'm sure."

Peko almost fell to the floor in dismay. "W-Why would you be doing something like that?"

"Huh?" Confusion settled over the princess. "You are not suppose to wear any underwear with a kimono, correct?"

Seriously?

"Really?" Chiaki tilted her head. Like the others, she was trying to decide on what kimono to pick out. That meant no games for her right now. "I didn't know that."

It didn't sound very fun. She was no exhibitionist.

"Sonia." Peko slowly shook her head. "That's just a rumor."

The swordswoman took a small pause here. _Technically_ , you could go without any underwear. Some women did it, for whatever reason. But that sort of thing was just too embarrassing for her. She could never do it, nor would she.

"There are special undergarments for this sort of thing," Peko added after brushing off that last thought. That was something only someone like Teruteru would enjoy.

"Oh, I see." Sonia smiled. "That does put my mind at ease. I was worried I would be too embarrassed to go through with it. Thank you, Pekoyama-san."

Peko acknowledged Sonia's gratitude, but she was left with a sense of embarrassment as well.

Mikan just felt relief. The last thing she wanted was to go around without any panties. In the past, she might have considered it, if only to attract more attention. But now? There was no way.

"That would be a lot of fun, though~" Ibuki had a whole different opinion on the matter. As usual, she was playful as she stuck her tongue out. "Hehehe, the boys would never see it coming! Naruto-chan would probably go red in the face too~"

Mikan had to blush at the thought. Would Naruto really enjoy that?

'No, h-he's not like that at all!'

She was sure of it.

Peko frowned. "I do not believe it would be appropriate, Mioda-san."

To someone as dignified as Peko, something like that was out of the question.

"Huh? What does it matter?" Akane still looked bored being in the store. "I've gone without panties before. It's no big deal. I actually got paid more when that happened."

"E-Eh?" Mikan blinked. Did she hear that right? "Owari-san, y-you worked without wearing panties?"

"Something like that. Many people would pay for them. Not sure why." Akane grinned. ""Course, after I started working as a waitress, I got to keep my panties! The tips helped too. So it was a win-win."

She was also able to steal some food to bring back home. It was a sweet gig as far as she was concerned.

Peko honestly had no idea what to say to all of that. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to be reacting either, especially since Akane was so cheerful about the whole thing.

Mikan was more understanding. Of course, her ability to grasp what Akane was saying came from a different place than the gymnast. A not so innocent place, not that there was much innocence to go around when it came to this. Mikan knew that getting people's attention required that sort of thing. She never got paid for it, though.

As for Ibuki, it was one of the few times that she looked somewhat startled. That spoke volumes about Akane's comments.

"Ahaha…..you say some of the darndest things sometimes, Akane-chan."

Akane merely grunted in response, not really caring about their reactions. She was still bummed out about being here. There was no point in wearing a kimono in her mind. But Sonia had insisted.

Peko decided to push Akane's weird past to the side and focused on the task at hand.

"This will take some time, but we must all have a kimono chosen before we leave."

Mahiru and Hiyoko had already disappeared into one of the changing rooms, so Peko didn't think she would have to worry about them. Sonia was helping Chiaki with the selection, and Ibuki and Mikan were looking through several as well. Really, the only troublesome person here was Akane.

Peko sighed. "Owari-san, if you require assistance, I do mind lending a hand. As I've stated, I am quite familiar with wearing a kimono."

Akane shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I don't really care what you pick out. I just wanna get out of here."

That simplified things.

There was a commotion by the entrance soon after, like someone was tackled to the floor, and it didn't take them long to figure out what it was.

"It looks like the others have arrived," Sonia said as she clapped in excitement.

The men's section was on the other end of the store, so the boys wouldn't be coming this way. Which was a good thing. Most of them didn't want the boys to accidentally see them undressed. That would be far too embarrassing.

But then, there were some familiar shouts that echoed throughout the store.

"LET ME GOOOOOOO! I MUST SEE THIS HEAVEN WITH MY OWN EYES, Y'ALL HEAR ME! I MUST, OR I'LL DIE!"

"Stop yelling, goddammit! Nekomaru, hold him down!"

"I-I'm trying! But he's got more power than I expected! He's pushing me back!"

"Seriously!? You're that desperate, Teruteru!?"

"IT'S A MAN'S PASSION, UZUMAKI-KUN! NO, A NUT'S PASSION!"

"THAT MAKES NO SENSE!"

"You fuckers better cut this out, or I'll cut all of you! I mean it this time!"

"Hey, don't lump me with them! It's Hanamura! He's the horny bastard!"

"You're not one to talk, Soda!"

"What did you say!?"

"Hahaha, this is quite interesting. You're all shining brightly right now."

"You butt out, Komaeda! This isn't the time for your shitty jokes!"

"This fool keeps emitting his aura in dangerous levels! It must be tamed at once! Otherwise, it could corrupt the whole world!"

"The whole world!?"

"Stupid, don't believe him!"

"Why do I have to be here? This is just too embarrassing..."

Peko, Sonia, Chiaki, Mikan, and even Akane all sweatdropped as they heard this while Ibuki chuckled.

"Oh my, it looks like they're having fun~"

That…..was one way to put it, sure.

* * *

It had taken a bit of force to put Teruteru down, but in the end Nekomaru and Naruto had been able to do it somehow. Fuyuhiko hadn't been happy about the whole thing, though. He was real close to keeping his promise about cutting them with a sword. It was only Teruteru swearing to be on his best behavior that managed to calm the yakuza down.

"Right this way, sir."

"Hm? Oh, right."

Naruto watched how Nekomaru was led to a different section of the store by one of the employees. It was just as the team manager said. Since he was so big, he was going to need a kimono tailored just for him.

"Holy shit, the prices!" Kazuichi nearly had a heart attack when he saw how much each kimono was charged for. His parents would never be able to afford something like this. Not with how little they earned from their bike store.

"Heh, what did you expect?" Fuyuhiko smirked. "This is the Kuzuryu clan. Like I said, we only deal with the best."

And yet, he was giving them away for free. Naruto always knew Fuyuhiko was a big softie on the inside.

"Hahaha, I feel honored to be given such a gift," Nagito said. It wasn't a lie. It was the first time someone was actually giving him a gift of any kind. Unlike Kazuichi, though, he would totally be able to afford one of these kimonod. No one would guess it from just looking at him, but Nagito had a substantial amount of money to his name. It was mostly thanks to his parents, but winning the lottery hadn't hurt either.

Such was the power of his **Ultimate Luck**. And the curse that came with it. Still, even though his luck came with terrible repercussions, Nagito had to admit that nothing bad had happened as of late. Even though he was experiencing amazing luck lately, the bad luck that usually followed was absent.

Nagito didn't understand it. But that wasn't surprising these days. His list of things that confused him had been growing and growing since coming to Hope's Peak Academy.

And one person in particular was at the center of it all.

Naruto hummed as he looked over the assorted kimonos while secretly giving Kurama a snack.

First things first.

"Is there one in orange?"

"Do you have to wear orange _all_ the time?" Fuyuhiko asked with a twitching eyebrow.

Ryota nodded. "Yes, too much of something can be a bad thing."

"I don't want to hear that from a guy who eats junk food like it's nothing," Naruto retorted.

"T-That is different!" Ryota said, defensive. "That's for survival!"

"I call bullshit."

"Well, no one asked you!"

Man, Ryota really was a different person when junk food was involved. It was sort of funny.

"Such nonsense." And of course, Teruteru wasn't happy about it. "To be so obsessed with that type of garbage. It won't do you any good, I tell you. Instead, you should be salivating over my delicious cuisine, Mitarai-kun! No worries, I don't mind if you beg. Or wrap me tightly around your arms as you ask for more. I can take it."

Nagito looked amused. "I think you're being too overt with your desires, Hanamura-kun."

Kazuichi snorted. "When is he not?"

Good point.

"C-Can we just focus on getting our kimonos?" Ryota said, looking totally done with everyone's shenanigans. It was still early in the day, but he was already feeling tired.

"H'mph, it is of no concern." Gundham's red eye glowed. "Such distasteful clothing isn't worthy to be worn by a powerful being such as I, but I will allow it for this occasion. If only to appease the Dark Queen."

It was Naruto's turn to sigh. "Look, if you're happy to wear it, just say so. Don't make excuses and drag Sonia into this."

"Say what!?" There's no way Kazuichi was going to ignore this, not when Sonia was involved. "You're trying to score points with Miss Sonia, aren't you!? I won't let you! I have a plan of my own!"

"I doubt Tanaka is in the same league as you," Fuyuhiko said in a dry tone. Sure, he found Gundham to be crazy. But he preferred that over Kazuichi's fanatical obsession with Sonia.

"He's just got you fooled!" Kazuichi replied. "But I already know. You can't trick me!"

Gundham didn't bother to look at the mechanic. "H'mph, don't put us on the same level. Defeating you would be an easy task."

Oh crap. They were going to fight again.

"Ohohohoho, how magnificent." Only someone like Teruteru could say something like that right now. "I never get tired of their passion."

"T'ch, Sonia needs to deal with these two idiots," Fuyuhiko grumbled. "I can't put up with their arguments anymore."

Every time they were in the same room, it was just the same shit.

"It is getting repetitive," Naruto agreed. He just hoped that Kazuichi would take his advice. But ultimately, it wasn't his problem to deal with.

"Ah, there's nothing to fear." Teruteru smiled. "I'll make sure to take _good care_ of whoever gets rejected."

"Yeah, I think you're misunderstanding something here."

Again.

"I make no such mistakes, Uzumaki-kun."

Sure. And the sky was green.

"But a confession would solve all this nonsense," Fuyuhiko spoke up, agreeing with Teruteru for once. "If anything, it'll shut them up for a while."

Naruto scratched his cheek. "You're already assuming she'll shoot them down?"

"I don't know what to think with that broad."

True, Sonia was…..weird, for a lack of a better word. What her romantic tastes were was something Naruto couldn't even begin to fathom.

"Are we seriously discussing this?" Ryota asked them, not understanding the change in topic.

Fuyuhiko turned back to his kimono hunt. "It's just something to think about. I doubt either of them has the balls to confess."

Naruto gave him a lopsided grin. "Says the guy with the secret crush on Peko."

Fuyuhiko nearly choked on his own spit.

"Oh." Nagito blinked. It made him look like a kid who had just seen two people kiss for the first time. "You have feelings for Pekoyama-san? I never would have guessed….."

"W-What!? No, I-I don't!"

Naruto chuckled. "When you start stuttering, no one can believe you."

Fuyuhiko looked ready to strangle the blond. "Y-You shut up! Or I'll fucking kill you!"

That threat no longer worked, Fuyuhiko. Not with them anyway.

"Oh my. Seeing you so flustered like this….." More blood started to drip from Teruteru's nose. "Kuzuryu-kun, you're totally my type, after all!"

"Wait, what? What did you just say, you bastard?"

Oh boy, they accidentally awakened the beast again. And his target was closer this time.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before they were trying to keep Teruteru from quite literally jumping on Fuyuhiko.

As Ryota would put it, they were all idiots. Good thing Nekomaru was spared this time.

* * *

"How does this look?"

"S-Sonia-san, that is beautiful!"

"Mhmm, totally stylish."

"Oh dear, has Ibuki been awakened to the world of girl love? Oh wait, I was already there! Hahahaha!"

That last comment was somewhat unnecessary, but regardless Sonia blushed at the praises. She was the first one to officially try out one of the kimonos in the store. The one she had chosen was a bright pink one with white petals as decorations.

"Thank you for the kind words."

Since it was her first time wearing one, Sonia had found it a bit difficult to put it on. There was more to wearing a kimono than she had originally imagined. Thankfully, Peko was there to help her out.

"It really goes well with your body," Chiaki said. "You look like a doll."

Was that really a compliment?

"Hmm, indeed." Peko smiled softly. "It's almost like you were born to wear one."

Sonia's cheeks reddened further. It was really embarrassing to be complimented like this, but it also felt nice.

"Hehehe, the boys won't be able to stop themselves from staring~" Ibuki said playfully while winking.

Would they really? Sonia wasn't sure. To her, the others were more beautiful than she could ever hope to be.

"But is that the one you're going with?" Peko asked, wondering if the princess was going to try any others. "There are a lot more if you're not happy with this one."

Sonia stepped in front of one of the mirrors and gave herself a look-over. It was a really beautiful kimono, and the others had praised her so much.

"No, I think I'll keep this one."

Her very first kimono, for her very first festival with her precious friends. She was going to make sure to treasure it.

Peko looked at the others. "Who wants to go next?"

She didn't know how, but she had ended up taking the role as leader for this. Maybe because none of the others had experience with this kind of thing? Peko didn't really know. Not that it mattered anyway.

"Let's just get this over with," Akane muttered with a sour look as she went into one of the changing rooms with the kimono Peko had helped her pick out.

"Might as well." Chiaki followed. While she wasn't as against this as Akane was, she wasn't overly excited like Sonia either. She was more like down the middle. It was just another experience for her.

Hmm...okay, maybe she was a _little_ excited.

"Don't leave Ibuki behind! She needs to blow everyone away too!"

Peko watched the three girls disappear into their respective changing rooms before looking at Mikan.

"What about you, Tsumiki-san? Are you not-?"

The nurse was squirming, her cheeks red. "I-I'm not sure I'll look good in this or not."

Especially not after seeing how amazing Sonia looked. It made Mikan more self-conscious than she already was.

Peko crossed her arms. "I never would have pegged you as one to doubt your physical appearance."

But maybe she should have. Mikan did seem to have a low self-esteem, especially with how she let Hiyoko badmouth her. Or maybe that had more to do with her being too nice to speak up? Peko couldn't say for certain.

"You shouldn't have to worry about such things, Tsumiki-san!" Despite being in a kimono, Sonia moved fast toward Mikan and held her hands. "You are very beautiful! I'm sure a kimono would look even better on you than it does on me!"

And Sonia wasn't lying when she said this. It made Mikan go a little teary-eyed.

"D-Do you really think so?"

"I know so!"

Sonia didn't know it, but Mikan was very appreciative of this moment. It was the first time someone was complementing her on her looks. Not some snarky remark about her being a pig or being too fat.

Mikan did what most people would in this situation. She broke down in tears.

"S-Sonia-san…..!"

Sonia instantly looked apologetic. "U-Um, did I say something wrong?"

Peko smiled and shook her head. "Quite the opposite in fact. I think you've made her happy."

The swordswoman could tell that Mikan's tears were from joy, not sadness. But the nurse was too emotional to be able to tell Sonia that right now.

"I-I see."

Sonia didn't really get it, but she was glad that she hadn't unintentionally hurt Mikan's feelings. It's the last thing she wanted to do.

"I can totally help if you have any problems!" Changing gears, Sonia flexed her arm with a determined smile. "Pekoyama-san made sure to teach me the basics, and I can do the same for you!"

Mikan's face brightened further, even with some tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Y-Yes! I would like that very much!"

Peko watched Sonia and Mikan step into one of the other changing rooms, leaving her behind.

'Hmm, I suppose I should get mine ready as well.'

She had plenty of her own kimonos back at the Kuzuryu compound, but she knew her young master wanted everyone to be a part of this activity.

Besides, despite her reservations, a specific kimono had caught her eye already. A _black_ kimono to be exact. And she liked the color black more than anything.

Yes, Peko could act like a normal girl once in a while too.

So cute.

* * *

"Hey, I think this one is pretty good."

When Naruto stepped out of his changing room, he was expecting the others to be waiting for him outside. But instead, he was met with silence with only Kurama sticking his head out from Naruto's schoolbag, his tail wagging happily behind him.

The blond had been able to find an orange kimono just as he wanted. It was bright, and the sun patterns only made it brighter. But it was totally perfect. The material was very soft too. Naruto had no idea what fabric it was made out of, but it was definitely comfortable.

Naruto grinned down at Kurama. "Well, at least someone here likes it."

Better than nothing, right?

"Hm? Uzumaki-kun?"

It turns out Naruto wasn't so alone after all as Nagito emerged from a different changing room. He too was sporting a kimono of his own, only his was purple in color. Or a shade of purple. Naruto wasn't sure. It didn't have any patterns like Naruto's either. It was just a plain one. Oddly enough, he found that this suited Nagito perfectly.

"Ah, I didn't think you would be the only one out here," Nagito said while looking around. "It looks like the others have abandoned us."

None of the others had picked out a kimono for themselves, so they were probably still looking. Heck, Gundham had a very specific one in mind apparently, to the point that he was getting a custom one made just like Nekomaru.

But really, when did Gundham ever half-ass things? Naruto wouldn't be surprised if Ibuki did something similar. The two of them were eccentric like that.

"I'm guessing that's the one you're going with?" Naruto asked, looking over Nagito's kimono one more time. The boy's sickly looking skin matched well with the color, somehow. Or maybe Naruto was wrong about that.

He knew next to nothing about fashion, after all. Only that orange went well with everything.

"I think it's rather beautiful. Especially since it's a gift from Kuzuryu-kun." Nagito started to smile, only this time it was more bitter than normal. "If I'm being honest, I have mixed feelings about this. I don't think someone as amazing as Kuzuryu-kun should be giving anything to someone as lowly as me. But not accepting would also be a terrible insult. I don't know what I should do about this."

"There you go, talking about that crap again." Naruto sighed as he scratched his head. "Sometimes, it feel like I'm getting to know you better, but then you say stuff like that. It makes me question your whole character."

Their previous conversation came to mind right away. Naruto never would have thought that Nagito cared so much about talent. And this stuff about him being "lower" than the rest of the class…...was he serious about that too?

"Hmm, I think that's only natural." Nagito didn't seem bothered by Naruto's words at all. "I don't think someone as amazing as you could ever comprehend the thoughts of scum like me."

"Ugh, not you too. I already had to deal with Kazuichi saying that. Why are you always making such a big deal about the little things?"

"No, I believe I'm totally right in my assessment of you." Nagito's face became dead serious, so much so that it made Naruto pause. "I have my own questions about you as well, but that's also natural. Just as you can't understand me, I can't understand you. People like me only exist to benefit the winners of this world, the **Ultimates**. But you, Uzumaki-kun. I think you're something more special than that."

But even with this revelation, Nagito was still confused. Naruto didn't believe in talent, which made no sense to him. After all, that was the only path to true hope. Only the chosen, the **Ultimates** , could hope to achieve it. That's why Hope's Peak was so special, because it was where all these symbols of hope were gathered. Their talents, shining brightly like the sun. This was the foundation to hope.

It's why Nagito had been subconsciously keeping his distance from Naruto since their last talk, because he still couldn't understand the meaning of Naruto's words to Teruteru.

Or maybe he was aware of it and was doing it on purpose? Nagito didn't know anymore. He wasn't sure of his actions, which was a first for him.

His troubles didn't end there either. Because…..despite his beliefs, Nagito wanted to be close to Naruto. To be friends with the blond. But that could never be. It just couldn't. Someone as amazing as Naruto should never be associated with the likes of Nagito. That's what he believed. But Naruto had no such reservations. The blond had no problems approaching him, which is where Nagito's dilemma started.

"Eh, I really don't know where you're going with this." Naruto's position on this whole matter was less complicated. He was beginning to understand that there was more to Nagito's speeches than he first assumed. Dismissing them like he had was a mistake on his part. "All I know is that if you want to be friends with the others, then you should. That includes me."

"That friendly nature of yours is very problematic for me," Nagito replied with another bitter look. "It makes me happy that you're ready to accept a worthless person like myself, but I doubt you can understand that."

"Every person matters," Naruto stated, his voice becoming firm. "I'm not sure why you're putting so much emphasis on talent, but I can tell you that it isn't everything. After spending the past two weeks with us, I'm sure you can understand it even if only a little. How everyone is more than their talents."

Nagito chuckled. It was upbeat, but it didn't match his next words at all.

"It's the total opposite for me. I believe I already told you this, but I've been living my life without a goal. With no purpose. That's because I don't need one. My luck can take care of everything! But that's why I'm also empty and rotten. My luck is all I have. It's the only reason why I was even able to meet you. How else can you explain me being here? That's why your words can't apply to me, Uzumaki-kun."

One thing was clear. Nagito believed in his luck wholeheartedly. There was no denying that. It's the one thing that's stuck by him all this time it seemed. That's probably the reason why he had so much faith in it.

There was a moment of silence. Honestly, Nagito had been expecting many reactions from Naruto, but he hadn't counted on the blond suddenly raising his fist towards him.

Nagito looked confused. "What is this?"

Naruto grinned. "Let's fist bump."

"Fist bump?'

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"Does there need to be a reason for it?"

Nagito tilted his head. "I…...don't know?" He didn't know what to say right now to be honest. He was utterly perplexed. He was usually the one who left others speechless, so this was a new experience for him.

"Well, if you need a reason, it's a sign of our friendship."

Now that caught Nagito's attention. "Did you not listen to what I said, Uzumaki-kun? Someone like me-"

"I don't care for crap like that," Naruto cut him off. "I can't say I fully understand you yet. I already made the wrong assumption about you before, but I promise not to do that this time. I can also promise to break that worldview of yours."

He had already promised that to Ryota. One more person wasn't a problem.

"I don't think that's necessary," Nagito said, dismissive. "Troubling yourself over me is just…."

It wouldn't be right.

"I already told you that I don't care about crap like that." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I don't care about your title, or your luck. Unfortunately for you, you got stuck with our class. We won't let you separate yourself anymore."

It was different, but in some ways, Nagito reminded Naruto of Sasuke. It was probably their attitude to isolate themselves from others. Of course, their reasons couldn't be more different. Still, Naruto wasn't about to let someone else do that to themselves, not if he could help it. And regardless of what Nagito said, a bond had already started to form between them. Naruto wasn't going to let the luckster discard that.

Nagito was troubled more than ever now. He still didn't think this was acceptable, but another side of him was rejecting that idea. It came from a selfish desire to want to be a part of Naruto's life. It was a desire that Nagito had been suppressing this whole time. After all, someone like him wasn't owed anything as grand as that. He was only meant to be a stepping stone to hope. Disposable trash. Nothing more.

And yet….

Naruto grinned when Nagito raised his fist and bumped it with his.

"That's the spirit."

"I don't think you left me much choice in the matter," Nagito said in return, smiling back. Even so, he wasn't going to deny the happiness that was swelling in his heart at this moment. Nagito daresay it was probably the happiest moment in his life, even better than when he was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. Because now, he was absolutely sure of it. He was sure that Naruto was the one who he had been searching for all this time.

The Ultimate Hope.

Naruto and Nagito might not fully understand one another at this moment, but they were still willing to learn and grow. They had the next three years for that.

And more importantly, Nagito didn't need to be alone.

* * *

 **Does Nagito have feelings for Naruto? Someone asked me that, and the answer is…..well, it's complicated. Everything relating to Nagito is always complicated. I say this because I personally believe that classifying Nagito as gay or straight is too simple. I know there's a joke in the fandom that Nagito is** _ **hopesexual**_ **, but honestly I think that's the best way to describe him. He doesn't care if the person is male or female, but only sees the hope in them. Or what he classifies as hope anyway. That's why he felt so attached to Hajime in Danganronpa 2. He saw Hajime as a kindred spirit since they were both "stepping stones," but also the potential of Hajime to rise above that. Not that he would ever admit to that probably, not after finding out that Hajime was just a Reserve Course student. There's way more I can say about this, but I'll leave it at that.**

 **So is Nagito attracted to Naruto or the hope he sees in him? Or both? I'll leave that to your imagination.**

 **Also, my dream of women going commando while wearing a kimono has been shattered. You really let me down this time, Japan! And you too, kimono! You had so much potential!**

 **Oh well. I still have other fantasies left.**

 **Anyway, that's all for me this time. Thank you for all of your kind words. My girl Peko is next before we finally head into the festival and enjoy ourselves further.**

 **Till next time.**


	17. Their Feelings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

 **AN: I'm disappointed no one caught the Man's Nut reference last chapter. Come on, people! That item gave us one of the best scenes in the whole game! The only ones that can compete are the Mikan snuggling and Nekomaru's "it" scenes. Both amazing as well. Although poor Hajime almost died from the former.**

 **I wouldn't mind going out that way.**

 ** _Ahem_.**

 **Anyway, on to the chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16:  
** **Their Feelings**

"Owari-san, you look amazing!"

"Indeed. It fits you well."

"H'mph, I guess even an uncultured meathead can pull it off once in a while."

Akane was bombarded with praise from the other girls as she stepped out of the changing room. She was now in a kimono of her own, this one a deep brown. It had no design, making it rather simple when compared to Sonia's. But Akane didn't care. They all looked the same to her. It was a miracle she had even put one on.

Putting her feelings, or lack of, towards kimonos aside, Akane wouldn't say that she hated all the compliments the others were throwing her way, though. It actually felt kind of nice.

But she would keep that to herself. The last thing Akane wanted was for the others to think that she was enjoying this. She never wanted to come back here again.

"But you still didn't do the obi properly!" Hiyoko, who was now out of the changing room along with Mahiru, was quick to point out Akane's mess of a sash. The gymnast had simply scrunched it all up together in the back, not bothering to tie it properly.

"The obi is one of the most important parts of the kimono!" Hiyoko's face showed her annoyance. But to anyone who knew her, this wouldn't come as a surprise. As someone who loved traditional Japanese stuff, messing with a kimono was one of the worst things you could do in front of her. "Do you want to look more like a blue-collar worker than you already are?"

"Blue-collar? What's that?"

Hiyoko's eyebrow twitched. "T-That's what you're focusing on…...?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. I don't even want to wear this stupid thing anyway."

It wasn't comfortable. Akane liked to be able to move around as freely as she wanted, but in this thing she doubted she could even jump from one rooftop to another. Which was disgraceful!

Mahiru sighed. "Owari-san, you're a girl too. You should be more mindful of your appearance."

"What does it even matter? I got my panties on. That's what matters, right?"

Mahiru's face burned red. "D-Don't say that so casually!"

It was clear that Mahiru and Akane were from different worlds.

"Urgh, whatever." Akane didn't care enough to continue that conversation. "I put the stupid thing on. That's enough, right?"

Peko frowned. She was holding onto a kimono of her own. It was the black one that she had spotted earlier.

"I do not think having such a disinterested attitude will make the others happy, Owari-san. You don't want to make Sonia-san sad, do you?"

It was sort of a cheap shot, Peko knew this. But it got her point across well enough.

"T'ch, fine." Akane finally relented and stepped back into her changing room. "Just know this is a waste of time."

"Yeah, it's like trying to teach a monkey manners." Hiyoko giggled into her sleeve. "I don't think it's possible."

Looks like she was no longer angry. That's good…..sorta? At the very least, Akane didn't care about the insult.

Mahiru shot the blonde a small smile. "I think we should leave Owari-san alone for now. We still need to pick a kimono for ourselves."

"Oh, right." Hiyoko had nearly forgotten that Mahiru hadn't picked one out yet. Unlike the redhead, Hiyoko wouldn't say that she _had_ to choose one. She had a whole wardrobe full of them back at her house, as well as the ones she brought to school with her. But this was also a rare opportunity, and Hiyoko wasn't going to miss out on it.

Hiyoko grabbed Mahiru by the hand with a huge smile. "Come on, Big Sis. I'll make sure to pick out a beautiful one for you!"

"Hahaha right, of course."

Peko watched them go with a small shake of her head. Those two were really close.

'Well, I should probably start changing as well.'

Thankfully, there was still one changing room left. The one Mahiru and Hiyoko were using earlier was now vacant. The swordswoman stepped inside and began to strip. Unlike Mikan or Akane, she had actual experience with this.

"Hehehe, behold! For the great Mioda Ibuki will now-ah! No one is here! Ibuki has been abandoned by her friends!"

Peko stopped when she heard the shrieks outside, followed by…..gurgling noises? Was that even possible?

"… _..A-blub-blub-blub-blub-blub!"_

Oh yeah, Ibuki was totally having another spasm attack. But with such sound effects…...

Peko concluded right then and there that the girl known as Mioda Ibuki was beyond human comprehension.

* * *

"Mhmm, I must say that I don't mind this fabric at all. It goes perfectly well with a grand specimen such as I."

"Teruteru, I beg you. Never say that again."

"Ohohoho, I have no shame in my body, Uzumaki-kun. And you shouldn't either! Those arms of yours are ripe for the taking!"

"Ugh….."

Naruto looked defeated as Teruteru chuckled wholeheartedly. The short cook was now in a kimono too. Unlike Naruto's, Teruteru's was red, the same color as the apron and handkerchief he usually wore. It was also striped, with black lines running vertically on the front and back of the kimono.

"Your body is _pure_ , correct, Uzumaki-kun?" Teruteru quickly fired his next question at Naruto. "No, no, no. Of course it is. Why am I doubting myself now? My instincts are never wrong!"

"What are you even talking about?"

Pure? Naruto didn't get what the cook was getting at with that.

'I'm clean?'

He was.

"Looks like a pervert's remarks don't work with an idiot, huh," Kazuichi said sarcastically as he exited his changing room. His kimono was a bright yellow, and he had his sleeves rolled up. It was just more comfortable this way.

"T'ch, you and Uzumaki have shit taste," Fuyuhiko said with his arms crossed. His kimono was a darker shade of purple than Nagito's, with a black outline. "How can you wear such eyesores? It's like I'm going blind."

"Don't try to diss me!" Kazuichi grumbled. "I already get enough of that from Saionji. And besides, this was in _your_ store! If you think it's shit, then what does that make you for selling it!?"

Fuyuhiko smirked. "It's called appealing to the widest customer base. That includes bumbling morons like yourself. It's a common business practice. Not that I'd expect you to understand that."

"Y-Yeah, well…..shut up!"

Nice comeback, Kazuichi. Very nice.

Naruto was more depressed with his response, poking his fingers in a Mikan-like fashion.

"Why does everyone always hate on the orange? It's cool, I tell you."

"T'ch, it really isn't." Fuyuhiko sighed. "You better not wear something stupid to dinner tonight. That shit won't fly in front of the old man."

Naruto waved his hand in dismissal. "I think you're taking this way too seriously, Fuyuhiko."

"I'm serious, dumbass."

"Oh, what's this?" Teruteru looked interested in their conversation. "Uzumaki-kun is going over to Kuzuryu-kun's home? And meeting his parents? Are they that far into their relationship!? Have I been left behind!?"

Fuyuhiko scowled. "You have a problem."

Again, stating the obvious.

"But that is weird, isn't it?" Nagito spoke, smiling at them. "Is there a particular reason for it?"

"It's nothing serious." Seriously, it wasn't _that_ important. Naruto didn't think so anyway. "Fuyuhiko's dad just wants to make sure his precious _Fuhi_ is doing well at school. Right?"

Alright, so maybe Naruto was pushing a little bit too much with that last comment. But he couldn't help it! It was the perfect moment to bring it up!

Fuyuhiko obviously didn't think so, which is why he looked ready to strangle the life out of the blond.

"You little shithead, I'm going to fucking murder you! Come here-!"

"Ohohoho, Kuzuryu-kun is serious! My body is tingling in excitement!"

"Hmm, I can't say this is very hopeful."

"Shut up, Komaeda….."

Violence soon broke out again, only this time it was Fuyuhiko who was the cause of it. Well, it was Naruto really. But the blond didn't mind that one bit.

Only Ryota was spared, who was inside one of the other dressing rooms. He heard the commotion outside but made the decision to stay put.

It went without saying that he probably had the most common sense in the group.

* * *

When Mikan exited her changing room, she had to admit that she was a bit hesitant. Even with Sonia next to her cheering her on, she was afraid the others would think she looked ugly. In the past, remarks like that wouldn't hurt as much. She had faced them every day, after all. But now, when she was with the others, Mikan realized that it didn't have to be like that. She didn't have to be insulted just to get noticed by other people. Naruto had taught her that.

Which is why she was afraid of what the others would think.

Almost all the girls were out of their changing rooms by this point. Only Peko was missing.

"-and it was terrible! Ibuki thought she was alone!"

"H'mph, you made a big deal out of nothing." Hiyoko looked annoyed again. "You were screaming so loudly. Because of you, Big Sis and I had to stop shopping."

And that was a crime paid only in blood!

…..okay, not really. But still. It was annoying.

"Hehehe, Ibuki might have overreacted~" the girl winked at her. "But check it out! Ibuki's kimono looks perfect on her, don't you think? Her figure is blossoming!"

It was a simple purple kimono, but Ibuki was planning on customizing it by tomorrow. She needed to make sure she shined as much as possible during her concert with Naruto and Hiyoko.

"Hmm." Chiaki looked down at hers. It was in the same color as her hair, a pale mauve. "Does this look good?"

"Who cares?" Akane picked her hear, looking extremely tired for some reason. She had fixed her obi at least. "Haven't we been here long enough?"

She was starting to get hungry again.

"I still need to pick mine," Mahiru muttered as she looked around the store. She had spotted one that looked just right for her, but Ibuki had distracted her before she could look at it more closely.

But then Mahiru spotted Mikan coming out of the changing room with Sonia in tow and her face lit up.

"Tsumiki-san! You found one too?"

Mikan's kimono was lilac in color, and it was adorned with a falling snow pattern. The white of the snow matched really well with the color of the kimono. Most of all, Mikan's hair was no longer messy as Sonia had helped her tied it into a neat bun.

"Oh my, it looks like Mikan-chan is shining." Ibuki was impressed and let out a low whistle. "Trying to steal some hearts? Well, you won Ibuki's heart!"

Mikan blushed. "I-It's not like that at all! Sonia-san s-said it would look nice….."

And there was no way Mikan was going to deny advice from her new friend.

The princess flexed her arm. "I know how to do a mean bun, if I do say so myself."

She had learned after coming to Japan. It was one of the many new experiences that she was trying out.

Chiaki smiled. "I think it looks great, Tsumiki-san."

Mahiru nodded. "Yes. You look stunning. You should do your hair more often."

Hiyoko huffed and looked away. "I-It looks nice, I guess….."

That's the best one could expect from her. Mikan was still happy with the compliment, and she began to tear up.

"E-Everyone….."

"Eeeeeehhh!?" Ibuki nearly shrieked again. "She's crying!"

Mahiru sweatdropped. "We can see that…."

"There, there. You don't have to cry anymore." Sonia did her best to try and console the nurse by rubbing her back. "You look splendid, so you don't have to worry!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not why she's crying," Mahiru muttered but still gave a resigned smile. It wasn't exactly comfortable to see someone cry, but in Mikan's case Mahiru couldn't complain too much.

'As long as she's happy.'

And like that, the girls managed to have a more relaxed experience than the boys.

* * *

"Why do I feel like this took longer than it should have?"

Naruto was standing outside of the store, a bag in hand. He looked ready to clock out for the day. He was already feeling tired before coming here. Trying to stop Teruteru's perversion had only made him more exhausted than before.

'A nap would be nice.'

Naruto practically swooned at the thought, but he knew Ibuki would be angry if he tried to skip their practice after this.

'She's enjoying our team up way too much in my opinion.'

Naruto knew he sucked with the drums, even after practicing for the past week. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't a fast learner. Ibuki didn't seem to care, though. Neither did Hiyoko, who looked to be enjoying herself a lot more than Ibuki, if that was possible. Naruto only knew this because he noticed the way Hiyoko smiled when she thought no one was looking. It was cute in his mind, the way she played this "tsundere" act.

'Oh, I think I just understood what Teruteru was saying.'

Fancy that. He was totally learning.

Go him.

"Hm? Naruto-san?"

Naruto perked up when he noticed the new arrival next to him. It wasn't Fuyuhiko or Nagito, who he was expecting. No, it was Peko. Like him, she was carrying a bag. Probably her kimono.

'Peko in a kimono…..'

It was a nice image, he had to admit. It wasn't just Peko, though. All of the girls were going to be wearing them tomorrow. He was looking forward to that, honestly. Not just because they were beautiful, but because it would be nostalgic for him. Kimonos were common in his world, so it would feel like he was back at home.

Not that Naruto was still focusing on that. It was just a nice thing to think about.

"Naruto-san?"

"Huh?"

Peko frowned. "You've been spacing out for the last minute. Are you okay?"

"Oh." Naruto turned a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I was just thinking how nice it was going to be to see you in a kimono."

"Ah." Peko wasn't sure how to take that comment. A small blush did settle on her cheeks. "Thank you…..I suppose."

Talking to Naruto was a new experience for Peko. He made her feel like a normal girl. Before coming to this school, people were always too afraid to approach her or be upfront with her. Peko's personality didn't help the situation. Her cold demeanor made others _more_ hesitant to talk to her. It wasn't like Peko was much interested in having conversations with others either. So it was a two-way street. It was still lonely, though.

Coming to Hope's Peak had changed all that. It wasn't just with Naruto. Peko felt more at ease socializing with the others as well. Today proved that. But it all came back to the blond in front of her.

"So what's up?" Naruto asked her. "Are the girls finished already?"

"Not yet, no. I believe Koizumi-san still hasn't picked one out yet."

Surprising. Naruto would have pegged Mikan to be the last one to choose a kimono. She was always indecisive and whatnot.

"But I am glad to have you here. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but I didn't know how to approach you with all of this when the others were around."

Oh? Naruto gave Peko his full attention.

"Is something wrong?"

Peko was totally a no-nonsense type person. If she wanted to speak with him in private, then it must be serious.

The girl pointed down the street. "There's a playground near here. We should talk there."

So she meant private-private.

Naruto shrugged.

"Alright."

He had no problems with this. He trusted Peko, so going off alone with her was no biggie for him.

The two teens began to walk off, neither noticing Nagito looking at them from one of the windows with a curious gaze.

'What is this?'

His curiosity had been peaked.

"Is something the matter?" Ryota asked him as he joined Nagito by the window.

The luckster merely smiled. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Mitarai-kun. I just need to step out for a moment."

Spying on other people's conversations wasn't a nice thing to do, but Nagito couldn't help himself. Besides, the last time he had done it he had overheard some interesting things.

'Uzumaki-kun is always one to inspire.'

It was sure to be the same way this time. He just knew it.

* * *

Naruto had many questions lingering in the back of his mind as he and Peko arrived at the playground. It was vacant, save for the two of them. Not surprising considering what time it was. Most kids were probably stuck in school right now. They were only out and about because they could.

Hope's Peak Academy was extremely lax that way.

But anyway, none of that really mattered right now. Naruto was more curious about Peko's reasoning for bringing him out here.

"I can sense your confusion," Peko said as the two stopped by the swings.

"Well, yeah." Naruto placed both his bags down, letting Kurama jump free so that he could explore the playground to his heart's content. "You're not the type to do this without good reason, so I'm curious to see what you want to talk about."

"True enough, I do have something very important to discuss with you." Peko looked down. "However, I do not know how to approach this subject. To tell you the truth, I may be acting out of place right now. It's not something I'm familiar with doing."

Acting out of place? What the heck did that mean?

Peko began to smile. "You're even more confused now, I take it."

Was it that obvious?

"You're making it seem like you have to follow some orders or something," Naruto said after a moment of silence. "Which I don't get. You're not a soldier."

As far as he was aware anyway. However, there was no denying the fact that Peko did have something she was keeping from them. Naruto only knew this because of the hesitation he could see in her at different times when they were together. Like she was afraid of doing something she wasn't supposed to. It wasn't the same as Mikan's hesitation, though. It almost felt…..more robotic in nature. He wasn't sure how to put it into words really, but that was the closest way he could describe it.

"No, I'm not." After putting her bag down as well, Peko crossed her arms and finally looked directly at Naruto. There was some sense of defeat in her eyes that felt out of place. "Calling me a soldier would be too kind. I'm something even below that."

Naruto started to frown. "Stop being vague. What are you getting at?"

"You're going to be attending an important dinner tonight, right?"

Naruto's frown only increased. "How do you know that?"

The only other person who was there when Fuyuhiko brought it up was Mikan, and he was sure she hadn't told anyone else. Some of the others had found out, but only just now. So how did Peko know…...?

Almost as if she was reading his thoughts, Peko added, "I know this because my young master told me about it."

Young master…...? Did he hear that right?

'Peko-chan has a master?'

Wait, hold up. A master. This couldn't be…...

Naruto started to connect the dots. "Are you-"

"There is no need for you to say anything," Peko cut him off. "I can already see that you're beginning to understand, so I'll be upfront. I serve the Kuzuryu clan. To be more precise, I serve Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko. I am his weapon, his tool. I have done this for my whole life, and that fact won't ever change."

Naruto stared at her, dumbfounded. It was to be expected. Anyone would feel the same way in his position.

So Peko and Fuyuhiko were close? From Peko's words, the two were together even before arriving at Hope's Peak Academy with everyone else.

'Her _whole_ life? And she's a tool?'

Peko sighed softly. "I'm sure there are a lot of things you want to ask, but before that I will tell you why I revealed this to you."

That was a good start.

"My young master trusts you, probably more than anyone else outside his clan." Peko was sincere with her words. There was no denying it. Even someone like her could see the bond between the two. "I'm not sure how he approached you about tonight's events, but you should know it was his idea. He probably wants to reveal…..all of _this_ to you. To be honest with you, his first friend. He will do this in hopes that you don't think any less of him."

But that didn't make any sense.

"Why….why would I think any less of him for this?" Naruto asked, confused. "I mean, you two are acquainted. And you're probably close. Just because he has a friend like that, it doesn't mean-"

"Friend?" Peko suppressed the urge to scoff at the notion. "Do not misunderstand, Naruto-san. My young master and I are not friends. In fact, it's the complete opposite. He…..hates me."

The hesitation in admitting that was there, but Peko said it anyway. Because it was the truth.

"He hates you…..?" Naruto didn't look convinced.

"Yes. He wants to prove to everyone in the clan that he is worthy of succession, that he doesn't need the clan to survive. He wants to show that he can stand on his own two feet. That is why he hates me, a tool that was given to him by his family. He sees me as a sign of weakness. That's why…."

Peko paused here. It's why he had ordered her to not act like his tool around the others. To pretend that they were total strangers.

" _We're only fellow high schoolers now."_

Those had been his words right before the entrance ceremony, and a part of Peko had been hurt by them. To her, it only felt like Fuyuhiko was ashamed of her. But how could he not be? It wasn't as though she was anything special to him. She was only his tool, nothing more. Her feelings were irrelevant.

Anger flashed on Naruto's face. His anger wasn't only directed at one thing, or one person. No, he was angry at about just everything that Peko was saying. About her dismissal toward the possibility of there being more between her and Fuyuhiko. About Fuyuhiko unable to be honest with Peko.

But most of all, he was angry at himself for not being able to see through their relationship before this. It was as Kakashi always said. Look underneath the underneath. He had failed to do that with Nagito, and now with Peko and Fuyuhiko.

And it angered him.

'I still have a long way to go.'

It wasn't just his physical training that he needed to work on. But also his ability to read others, to be able to connect with them.

Peko saw the anger, and she quickly bowed.

"I apologize if you feel betrayed by this, Naruto-san. We lied to you, there is no denying that. But please, I beg you. Do not blame my young master for this. If you want, you can direct all your hatred at me. I don't want to see the first bond that my young master has made be tarnished like this. I beg you."

There was clear desperation in her voice. It was sad, really, to see Peko like this.

So that's how it was. Naruto understood. He understood Peko's actions. She wanted to make sure that Naruto wouldn't think any less of Fuyuhiko for keeping a "tool" such as herself around. She wanted to preserve their friendship, even if that meant that the bond she had with the blond was gone because of it.

She was trying to sacrifice herself basically.

Naruto wasn't happy with the display.

"T'ch, it's honestly annoying that you think so little of me, Peko-chan."

Peko-chan…..?

The girl raised her head, confused but also hopeful. "What…..?"

Naruto glared at her. "I understand your feelings. You feel devoted to Fuyuhiko. When we first met, you told me you had a 'debt' to pay, and it's probably tied to all of this. I won't deny that either. But this isn't just about Fuyuhiko. Or me. You're also a part of this. Did you think I was going to discard our friendship just to try and save another? Does our bond mean that little to you?"

"T-That….." Peko was forced to look away, the hurt clear in her eyes. "That's not it at all! I…..I was happy too. You are someone I have begun to think of as a friend. That is true. But…..it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, I'm just a tool for someone else to use. I'm not even human."

She had no worth. She didn't deserve friendship. That's why she was fine with being tossed to the side.

"You…." Naruto sighed and scratched his head. "You're totally misunderstanding the situation, Peko-chan. Fuyuhiko's hesitation probably didn't help the situation either."

Peko turned to him again, her face puzzled. "What does that mean?"

"It's not my place to say it, but I can tell you one thing." Naruto pointed at her. "Fuyuhiko doesn't just think of you as a tool. Nor does he hate you. I'm sure of it."

Because the boy loved her. Naruto was one hundred percent certain of that now.

"What…..?" Peko was left speechless by Naruto's words. It was just impossible. There's no way what he was saying was the truth! Because Fuyuhiko hated her! That was the only way to explain it. To explain his actions. It had to be.

"You don't look convinced."

She wasn't.

Naruto chuckled. "You're stubborn too, so I doubt words alone can change your mind on this. But I also know something else. Your actions just now confirmed it for me."

Confirmed what?

"You…..have feelings for Fuyuhiko, don't you?"

It was a bluff. Naruto wasn't sure at all, but when Peko's face lit up like fireworks Naruto knew he was totally right.

'Heh, we got ourselves an interesting situation right here~'

"W-W-What are you saying!?" Peko squeaked. It was so totally unlike her that Naruto had the sudden urge to hug her. "There's no way that's true at all, you idiot!"

But it was true. Peko knew, even before Naruto had said it. There was no way she wouldn't know about her own feelings. But she had suppressed them for a long time. Being confronted out of nowhere like this didn't help either.

It was just embarrassing.

"Hehehe, don't worry, Peko-chan." Naruto patted her on the shoulder. "I won't tell Fuyuhiko. Your secret is safe with me."

For some reason, that didn't reassure Peko at all.

"Your eyes look darker than usual, Naruto-san."

"Pfft, it's just your imagination."

Two of his friends had feelings for one another, but they didn't know about it? Naruto was going to make sure to fix that. And soon.

"Anyway, I think any less of you for this," Naruto told her. "You're my friend. You're human. And you matter to me. You got that?"

Peko could only stare at him, unsure of what to say. No, she couldn't say anything. Naruto had said everything for her.

The conversation might have turned more playful toward the end, but it didn't change the relief that was flooding through Peko right now. It was like a heavy load had been lifted off her shoulders. Naruto didn't think any less of her young master, and he was accepting her as well. She could keep her bond.

'Thank you, Naruto-san.'

He was a good friend, and Peko wouldn't change that for the world.

* * *

It didn't take the pair long to get back to the store where the others were. But while they were leaving the playground, both felt a pair of eyes on them from somewhere. The presence didn't feel malignant, but it was still noticeable. They couldn't find any bystander or anything, though. In the end, they just chalked it up to their imagination and moved on.

Unfortunately, while they were able to leave unnoticed, it wasn't the same when they got back as everyone else was waiting for them outside. The cars were there as well, ready to take them back to the school.

Sonia was the first to spot them and gasped.

"Ah, there they are!"

The others all turned to them, and right away Naruto and Peko knew they were going to be bombarded with questions.

"You two, where did you go!?" Mahiru was quick to scold them, her hands on her hips. "We were worried sick!"

Yeah, she totally had the "den mother" role down to a T.

"We were about to send Owari after you," Nekomaru said with a grunt.

"Heh, my nose would have totally found them!" As if in agreement, Akane's nose twitched like an animal's.

"It's totally inexcusable!" Teruteru cried out. "You two snuck out to have yourselves a make out session, didn't you!? And you left me out of it! You insult me!"

"E-Eh?" Mikan blushed and fiddled with her fingers. "I-Is that true…..?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. They did know a quick call to either of their phones would have suffice, right?

"No, it's not true. We were just talking."

"Talking?" Kazuichi scratched his cheek. "You sure that's all that happened?"

Peko was hot, so Kazuichi had his doubts that Naruto hadn't tried to do anything with the girl.

What Kazuichi didn't take into account was the fact that Peko knew a dozen different ways to kill someone and then dispose of the body without a trace. So if Naruto tried anything, it wouldn't end well for him.

"Yes. Stop misunderstanding the situation." They already had one Teruteru. They didn't need a second one.

"Still fucking annoying," Fuyuhiko said, sighing. "We had to deal with Komaeda suddenly disappearing on us. We didn't need you doing the same."

"Eh?" Naruto looked at the luckster. "You left?"

Nagito smiled. "Oh, it's nothing important. I just had to get some fresh air is all."

Hmm, for some reason, Naruto didn't believe that.

"I apologize for causing a scene," Peko said, bowing her head. "I did not think this would trouble everyone like this."

"It's no big deal really." Chiaki wasn't angry at least. "The others are just over-exaggerating."

"It's called being worried about your friends!" Ibuki exclaimed. "We thought you were kidnapped by hungry wolves or something!"

Hungry wolves? In the middle of the city? And why would hungry wolves even kidnap them in the first place? Wouldn't they just eat Naruto and Peko on the spot?

"Your words…...they're filled with riddles," Gundham said offhandedly, his eyes closed.

"Riddles? Really?" Ibuki giggled. "Ibuki knew she was special~"

Naruto was pretty sure Ibuki was misunderstanding Gundham's words, but whatever. As long as she was happy.

"Can we go now?" Hiyoko pouted. "I don't want to be standing out in the middle of the street. It's getting too hot!"

"Hmm, indeed. Outside is the enemy of all mankind," Ryota muttered.

Naruto sweatdropped. "You're taking it too far there, Ryota."

Ryota didn't think so.

"As long as we are done here, we should get going." Sonia beamed. "We still have some preparations to complete for tomorrow!"

Ibuki immediately pounced on Naruto, grabbing his arm as if to make sure he couldn't run away.

"We have band practice, Naruto-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't forget."

"You better not." Hiyoko's face was smug. "Performing with me will be an honor. You should treasure every moment of this."

Naruto decided to play along and patted the blonde on the head.

"Of course I will."

Hiyoko blushed and huffed. She had no comeback to make. She couldn't. Not when she was blushing this hard.

'I-Idiot.'

By this point, for her, calling Naruto an idiot was more of a compliment than anything else.

"Hahaha, then let us go!" Nagito looked more cheerful than normal as he raised his hands. "Your talents are sure to shine brighter as we move forward!"

There were several groans from the group, but by this point, they were just chalking it up to Nagito being Nagito and didn't question it.

As they started to get in the cars, Fuyuhiko looked at Peko with a questioning stare, to which the girl just shook her head at.

They could talk later.

* * *

The rest of the day went by rather normally. Or as normal as a day surrounded by Ultimates could go. Naruto spent most of his time practicing more with Ibuki and Hiyoko, with Nagito and Mikan spectating for them. It was rather unfortunate that the trio were enjoying themselves so much, to the point that none of them saw Nagito and Mikan writhing in pain every time they played.

Ibuki's music had that effect on other people.

But it was still fun!

Kazuichi was able to finish setting up the last game as well, and all the decorations by Sonia were in place. Basically, the festival was ready to commence tomorrow.

The one most excited for this was Gundham, who was seen cackling every so often. But it was to be expected. They were going to make sure that all of the animals under his care found good homes. As caring as Gundham was, it was bound to make him happy.

Good Gundham.

It was after work that Naruto went straight home to change. He still had a dinner to attend tonight.

He didn't know what to wear, but formal clothing was probably going to be expected.

'I'm having dinner with the head of a yakuza clan…..'

 _The_ yakuza clan as far as the world was concerned. Oh yeah, formal wear was the way to go.

The blond grimaced when he pulled out his only suit from the closet. Tengan had told him to get one, just in case. Looks like the old man's cautious nature had paid off.

'I so don't want to wear this.'

It didn't look comfortable, and he was sure the tie was bound to try and strangle him at one point.

Kurama seemed to agree with his disgust as he turned away from the suit, almost like it was too disgusting to look at.

'Smart fox.'

Nevertheless, he still changed into it. It was a simple blue suit with a matching tie and a white dress shirt.

After changing, he had to grimace again when he passed by the mirror.

'I want to die.'

He sighed in dismay. Might as well get this over with.

Kurama climbed on his head again, and the two took off.

Hopefully no one tried to murder him tonight.

* * *

The security around the Kuzuryu compound had gone up tonight than the last time around. Maybe it was because they knew he was coming? They probably didn't want to take any chances, even if he was just a high school student. Being at the top always meant there were people who wanted you to go down.

Oh well, it didn't change anything for him. Naruto walked up to the entrance where a trio of guards were waiting for him. Naruto also spotted a lot of cars around, all very expensive looking.

Hm.

The guards instantly recognized him. Naruto expected to be search or something, but instead he was let right in. No questions asked.

'Huh.'

What were all the guards for then?

"Heh, looks like you made it."

Once inside, Naruto was met by Fuyuhiko. The shorter boy was in a suit of his own, but that was his usual attire.

"Fuyuhiko. Glad to see you aren't trying to kill me, after all."

"What? You're still on that dumb joke?" The yakuza heir smirked. "Like I told you. If we wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."

Right, right.

Fuyuhiko led him deeper into the compound. On the way, Naruto saw that there were a lot of different people around. Had he come at the wrong time?

"The old man decided to make a whole show of this," Fuyuhiko informed him after noticing Naruto's confusion. "He invited a lot of his friends, and some political allies that he's got on the National Diet."

The Japanese National Diet. That was the name of the country's government. While Naruto still didn't know how the government fully worked in this country, he knew that much.

At least that answered his previous question. All the security wasn't for him. It was for all the important guests that were going to be here tonight.

Kurama seemed to be just as fascinated as his owner, his head going back and forth from person to person. He was taking it all in. This was all new to him, after all.

"I thought this dinner was your idea?"

"It was. But the old man likes to show off when he can."

He and Fuyuhiko were alike in that regard. Like father like son, as it were.

Naruto then noticed that Fuyuhiko wasn't leading him to the main room where most of the guests were. Rather, he was taking Naruto to the back of the compound where they had hung out a bit after his first visit here.

Once they got there, Fuyuhiko was quick to speak.

"I heard what Peko told you."

 _Peko_ , huh?

"Hm, so you're not going to hide it anymore?"

Fuyuhiko sighed and turned to him. His face was conflicted.

"There is nothing to hide anymore, idiot. Not after she decided to go behind my back."

That phrasing...

"Are you mad at her? For what she did?"

Fuyuhiko hesitated with his response for a couple of moments. "I….I don't know. I was planning on telling you tonight, but…..this is also the first time she's disobeyed me." Fuyuhiko smiled. "If I'm being honest, I feel happy. Not angry. It's weird."

So it was like that, huh.

Naruto smiled as well. "Just so you know, she did it for you. Peko-chan cares about you. She was afraid that I would cut off my friendship with you over this."

"Well, I was afraid of the same thing."

"Then you're an idiot," Naruto said bluntly. "I admit that I don't know the full story, but I know for a fact that you don't consider Peko-chan to be your tool."

Fuyuhiko couldn't deny that. "We've been together since we were just babies. She's always been there for me." He turned serene as he remembered all the memories he and Peko had formed over the years. "My parents assigned her to be a hitman for me after they found her abandoned. That's why she took up to the sword, to protect me. It's supposed to be nothing more than a business relationship. But…."

But things were never that simple. Naruto could see that Fuyuhiko did care for Peko. He just wasn't good at expressing it.

Closing his eyes, Naruto grinned. "You love her, don't you?"

It was straightforward, and Fuyuhiko had to sigh at the boldness.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"I'm just calling it as I see it." Naruto opened his eyes again. "But hey, you're not blushing anymore. I call that improvement!"

"Idiot." Fuyuhiko readjusted his tie as a small red tint settled over his cheeks. "When I'm around you, I can't help but be honest."

"Then you should be honest with Peko-chan as well. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Like Fuyuhiko, Peko was like a toddler when it came to expressing her emotions. The two were the same, just running in circles and unable to properly explain their true feelings to one another. If Naruto was able to see this, but they couldn't…...then that was a big problem right there.

"Then you're not mad?" Fuyuhiko had been expecting a different response from the taller blond. "I kept a big secret from you. From the others. They'll probably….."

Fuyuhiko didn't finish that thought. He didn't want to think about it.

Naruto shook his head. "Stop thinking about that. The others will be surprised, but they'll understand. You two have your own circumstances. They won't hate you for this."

Naruto was confident that the others would be able to handle this revelation. Their bond was strong enough for that.

Fuyuhiko's shoulders relaxed. Like Peko, it was like a huge burden had finally been lifted.

"You always make things seem so simple. It makes me feel like I was overthinking the whole thing for nothing."

"You don't have to go that far." After all, Naruto had his own secret that he had yet to reveal. But seeing Fuyuhiko and Peko taking their first step forward like this, Naruto felt emboldened to do the same.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

The new voice broke into their conversation. It was Peko, who joined them outside. Naruto was at a sudden loss of words when he saw the girl. She was wearing a kimono for tonight. He didn't know if it was the one she had picked out earlier today or one that she already owned. Either way, Naruto had to admit that it looked _very_ good on her.

Peko was basically the embodiment of a firm young woman, almost regal. But it wasn't in the same manner as Sonia. Wearing a traditional outfit like the kimono only emphasized that fact. Her striking red eyes meshed well with the black kimono, but at the same time her face was soft enough to not come off as rigid or harsh.

'My descriptions suck.'

Bottom line is, Peko looked very beautiful. She had no makeup either, which was probably for the better. Her natural features were enough to win over any man.

Naruto suddenly pulled Fuyuhiko to the side.

"I'm kind of jealous of you right now," he muttered with a playful sour look.

Fuyuhiko got what he was getting at and rolled his eyes. He blushed as well.

"Fucking idiot, just shut up before I hit you."

The last thing he needed was Peko catching on. He would cross that bridge later.

Peko looked at them with a tilt of her head. "Is something the matter?"

"Ahahaha, it's nothing." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while Kurama let out a quick bark, although it sounded more like a "yipping" sound rather than a regular bark. If that meant he was agreeing with Naruto or trying to sell him out, Naruto didn't know.

Peko looked at Kurama with longing. "I see that you brought Kurama along….."

Naruto and Fuyuhiko looked at one another with knowing smirks.

"Wanna pet him?"

Peko's face was like that of a child waking up on Christmas morning.

"M-May I really?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah. I don't think he'll mind. Do you, Kurama?"

As if knowing what was being asked of him, Kurama jumped from Naruto's head and onto Peko's awaiting arms.

The smile that broke on her face made both Naruto and Fuyuhiko smile as well.

"He's so soft," Peko said softly, stroking Kurama's back. "He looks bigger already."

"Probably because he's been eating a lot," Naruto said, still smiling.

Seeing Peko like this…..it was really nice. She was strong, but she also had her tender side. It really did make him jealous that Fuyuhiko had someone like her pining for him.

'Oh well. All I can do now is support them both.'

He could do that, even if it was a little sad.

"Onii-chan, where are you!?"

Another person made their presence known, this one louder than Peko. It took a few moments for Naruto to recognize the new arrival.

It was Fuyuhiko's sister.

'What was her name again?'

Fuyuhiko turned to her. "Natsumi, what do you want?"

Natsumi quickly ran up to them. Like Peko, she was in a kimono. Hers was a yellowish-gold color. It reminded Naruto of Kazuichi's, only not as flashy.

"Papa sent me to look for you! The dinner is about to start!" The younger girl took a moment to pause to look at Naruto. Unlike him, she recognized the blond immediately. "You're here again."

Was that a bad thing?

"I invited him," Fuyuhiko said, stepping in between Naruto and his sister. "He's an important guest."

Natsumi rolled her eyes. "If that's your way of saying he's your first friend, I get it. Sheesh, no need to be so dramatic about it."

Fuyuhiko's eye twitched. She was always like this. Dealing with her was such a pain.

Natsumi then pushed Fuyuhiko aside before he had a chance to complain and flashed Naruto a smile. "Hello, I am Kuzuryu Natsumi. Soon, I'll be known as the Ultimate Little Sister. It's nice to meet you!"

Wait, what? Ultimate Little Sister?

'Was that a real talent?'

Fuyuhiko scowled. "You're still going on about that crap?"

He might appreciate the gesture, but he also didn't like how far Natsumi was taking this 'ultimate little sister' gimmick.

"It's not crap!" Natsumi narrowed her eyes at him. "It's my talent! Since you're the **Ultimate Yakuza** , it's only natural that I, as your little sister, be called the Ultimate Little Sister. That's how I'll be able to attend Hope's Peak Academy with you!"

Naruto recalled the girl saying something about that during his previous visit.

'She wants to go to Hope's Peak…..because of Fuyuhiko?'

"Stop spouting that bullshit already!" Fuyuhiko fired back. "You don't need to go to Hope's Peak to be my little sister. You know this, don't you?"

Most of all, it was Natsumi who was supposed to be the head of the clan. Not him. That's how Fuyuhiko felt. He wasn't worthy of that position as he was now. But Natsumi…..

"If you're so fucking insistent on going to Hope's Peak, then why did you pass up on being the heiress!?"

"You know why! It's because you deserve that spot! Not me!"

The two glared at one another, neither willing to back down. At the heart of it, it was a disagreement that came down to the two caring about one another too much. That's why they were in this predicament.

"I believe this is a conversation that should take place another time," Peko cut in, breaking the sibling fight that was about to take place. "We have guests."

This was enough to deter Fuyuhiko from continuing. Natsumi on the other hand switched her glare from her brother to Peko. It was something Peko was used to, though. She knew Natsumi resented her in some fashion. It was probably because she could stand next to Fuyuhiko while she couldn't.

Naruto just kept quiet. There were a lot of things he could say right now, but it wasn't the appropriate time.

Natsumi let out a huff before turning away and heading back inside the house. Her form was shaking along the way. Either from anger or sadness, it was hard to tell.

"Looks like you got your own familial problems."

Fuyuhiko clicked his teeth in annoyance. "T'ch, she's just being an idiot. She's been trying to force the old man into letting her switch schools and go to Hope's Peak."

"As the Ultimate Little Sister?"

It sounded cute, Naruto admitted to himself, but…..

"The school won't recognize it as a real talent," Peko said, stating the obvious. She continued to pet Kurama as she added, "They're not likely to change their minds at this point."

"Then how is she going to get in?"

"The Reserve Course." Fuyuhiko looked up at the night sky. "That place you and Tsumiki decided to check out for some reason. The idiot thinks that getting into the Reserve Course will get her closer to the Main Course somehow. But she's just being stupid. As if she needs something like that."

Naruto was certain that there was more to this than just what Fuyuhiko was saying. It probably came from an inability to grasp his sister's feelings. Her true desire in all of this.

But it was the same as Naruto's situation with Nagito, and with Peko and Fuyuhiko.

'Understanding others isn't so simple.'

Emotions couldn't be easily understood, and neither did the feelings that came with them.

'Natsumi's feelings…..'

That was the root cause of this disagreement.

"Come on, let's go." Fuyuhiko dropped the subject and motioned for the house. "The old man will be pissed if we keep him waiting."

Kurama jumped back onto Naruto's head, leaving Peko wanting more.

'I miss his fur already….'

Naruto stopped himself from laughing at Peko's pouting face. She probably didn't even realize what she was doing.

Cute, Peko-chan. Very cute.

As the three entered the house again, Naruto's mind lingered on Natsumi for a moment longer.

Even if feelings and emotions were hard to understand, it didn't mean it was impossible. Just like with the three of them-no, just like with their whole class. It was difficult, and they were certain to stumble.

But it wasn't impossible.

'Natsumi, huh.'

Naruto wouldn't forget about her name this time. Maybe even help her down the road. No, definitely help her.

Why?

Well. Why not?

* * *

 **Yeah, yeah. Another extra chapter. But I'm sure no one is going to complain about that.**

 **Anyway, we dove deeper into three characters today. You could say Fuyuhiko got an extra social event because of Peko. But also because he's probably Naruto's best friend from the group.**

 **Enjoy the bromance, people. I know I am.**

 **Peko was probably my favorite character to write about so far. I just love her whole dynamic with Fuyuhiko. While I definitely felt bad for Teruteru in the first trial, the second one made me cry like a bitch after everything was revealed. What's shocking is that Peko was a character that I was mostly neutral on up to that point. Yeah, her character design was cool, but besides that I didn't really feel invested in her. And yet, her ending still made me cry. It's like a love story gone wrong. And the worst part is that it could have all been avoided if only she and Fuyuhiko were honest with one another from the start. Which hits home for me since I have had similar problems in the past.**

 **Danganronpa, man. I love these characters so much.**

 **Anyway, that's all for me this time. Review and spread the love.**

 **Till next time.**


	18. Our Melody

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17:  
** **Our Melody**

Politics.

What a fascinating concept. Naruto had never once bothered to think about them if he was being honest. Even with his dream to become Hokage, politics had never played a role in his life. At least, they hadn't affected his decisions in the slightest. He did what he thought was right, regardless of the consequences. Kakashi always said that kind of thinking was going to land him in hot waters one day, but he had never condemned Naruto's way of thinking either. Basically, his sensei secretly did approve but just kept up airs.

Naruto missed him.

On the other side of the equation, those who were only interested in their status, only acting when it benefited them….Naruto despised people like that. Which is basically what politics were all about.

Fuyuhiko's world was a bit more complicated than that unfortunately. Politics played a very big role in his life. It wasn't an aspect he very much enjoyed, but it was something he had come to accept a long time ago. Mingling with the political elite in Japan was just another day for him. It was something that helped the clan stay afloat in many ways. His father had such a strong presence in the country thanks to the connections he had built over the course of his life. It was something he was trying to teach to Fuyuhiko, for him to learn the importance of that.

Sometimes, might wasn't everything. It was words that won the day.

That was what these parties were for. For Fuyuhiko to start to build political alliances that would help him in the future. Alliances that would benefit the clan.

The parties were also to have fun of course. If there was one thing the rich liked, it was expensive parties. But the Kuzuryu clan head could do both at the same time. He could continue to foster these alliances while also having fun. He didn't limit himself in any sense of the word.

Of course, to someone like Naruto, most of this went over his head. He simply enjoyed the party for what it was. Just a party. Namely the food and drinks which were being served to him directly by Fuyuhiko's mother.

Like Peko and Natsumi, the older woman was in a kimono. But unlike the two girls, there was a certain charm on the woman that wasn't lost to the blond. It was sort of like she was more sophisticated. Or rather, she had an air of experience about her that Peko and Natsumi both lacked. That all the other girls in his class lacked as well if he was being honest.

Jiraiya had said something about this during their training trip. An experienced woman was not to be underestimated, or something along those lines. Naruto was finally starting to understand what his perverted master had been trying to teach him.

"I hope you enjoy yourself tonight," she said to him as she poured more of the drink into his cup. It was non-alcoholic. It was supposed to be some blend of fruits. Naruto had missed the explanation. He just knew it tasted great.

"But of course!" Naruto grinned like a little kid, enjoying the service. "I'm glad you decided to invite me."

It was technically Fuyuhiko who had extended the invitation, but that didn't matter right now.

"The pleasure is ours. It was about time our little Fuhi got a friend his own age. I know he needs to inherit the clan someday, but he still needs to enjoy his childhood."

Naruto didn't disagree with that sentiment in the slightest.

"That's why we're glad you're here." She sent him a beautiful smile that made Naruto's cheeks burn. "So enjoy yourself as much as you can."

"H-Hehe, right!"

Naruto scratched his head bashfully. It was like he was talking to his crush or something.

How embarrassing.

After she went to attend some of the other guests, Fuyuhiko came up to him and elbowed him rather hard.

Naruto winced at the sudden blow.

"W-What the hell was that for!?" he hissed.

Fuyuhiko scowled. "Stop leering at my mother like a little schoolboy."

It was weird. And disgusting.

"I can't help it. She's beautiful."

"You son of a bitch."

The two looked like they were going to get into a fight until Peko showed up and stopped them.

"Quit it, you two." She glared at them both. The glare was enough to make their spines tingle in fear. "We are in the middle of an important dinner. You can't behave like children in front of all these people."

Even though she was glaring at them and oozing authority, she also had Kurama in her arms again. And with him, she was being as gentle as she could be as she stroked his fur.

Naruto and Fuyuhiko looked away. It was like they had just been denied their favorite toy or something.

Peko could only shake her head in dismay. 'These two.'

They were definitely going to cause her more headaches in the future, she just knew it.

In the midst of his sulking, Naruto noticed Natsumi standing in the other side of the room. She was surrounded by several men who had teens their age next to them. They seemed to be talking excitedly about something while Natsumi herself was looking pretty bored.

What was that about?

"So you noticed, huh."

Naruto glanced to Fuyuhiko, who sighed and looked over to his sister.

"It's a pretty common sight in these parties. A lot of the old man's friends bring their sons over to try and set up a marriage with Natsumi. It's gotten more annoying over time."

Naruto wasn't too surprised by this. Even someone like him could understand why people would want that sort of arrangement. The Kuzuryu clan was definitely powerful. Having close ties to a power like that was sure to be beneficial.

"It's disgusting," Peko said softly, her face annoyed. "Lady Natsumi shouldn't be pressured like that."

"It comes with the name," Fuyuhiko said back, dismissive about the whole thing. He himself had been offered similar deals in the past. He had turned them down of course. He had no interest in getting married simply for more power. Unfortunately, the vultures seemed to be more persistent when it came to his sister.

Naruto noticed something. "You don't seem worried about her."

"She can take of herself. If she can't handle some greedy politicians, then she shouldn't be a part of the family."

It may sound harsh, but it was the truth Fuyuhiko and Natsumi lived in. You had to be tough to be a part of this family.

But it was also a front. Fuyuhiko cared for his sister, but he also had faith in her. It was definitely part of the yakuza blood that ran in him that made him like this.

It was still odd for Naruto, though. He never had to deal with stuff like this in his life. But if things had gone differently for him, if his parents hadn't died the night he was born, would he have faced similar situations? With his father being Hokage and his mother being somewhat famous herself, would there have been people looking to use him as a tool to advance their political ambitions?

Hmm, it was a definite possibility, that's for sure.

It was an interesting thing to ponder, certainly. But like many other things, it didn't matter much in the end. The past was the past, and there was no changing it.

Looking toward the future was what mattered.

Not that the present wasn't important either. It certainly was. There were things that you could only do now and no other time. Which is why Naruto chose to do something that could only be done at this very instant, politics be damned.

He placed his drink down and quickly set off, leaving Fuyuhiko and Peko to look at him with open curiosity.

As for Natsumi, she hadn't been expecting to suddenly be pulled out of the makeshift circle that had formed around her. And by Naruto of all people.

She wasn't the only one surprised either.

"May we help you?" one of the men asked with a very strained smile. It was obvious that he was not happy with Naruto's interruption.

The other men shared the same reaction, while their sons didn't seem to care all that much about what was happening. They were only here because their fathers wanted them to be.

Naruto shot them all half-hearted grins as he pulled Natsumi closer to him.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just going to ask my good friend Natsumi here to hang out with me for a bit. If she's willing."

Natsumi openly gaped at him before she realized she had her out.

"Why yes, of course! I've been looking forward to hanging out with you as well. Thanks for reminding me."

There were confused glances among the men. They had never seen Naruto before, nor had they heard anyone from the Kuzuryu clan bring him up in any conversations. So how did he know Natsumi? How were they close? What was the nature of their relationship?

They had many questions they wanted answered, but Naruto and Natsumi quickly left the scene before they could be interrogated further.

Fuyuhiko saw this and simply smirked to himself.

'Fucking idiot.'

He was drawing attention to himself without realizing it. But really, he wouldn't expect anything different from Naruto. Not after getting to know him.

And he was damn happy with it too.

Peko didn't know what to think at first, but she settled with a resigned smile. She was grateful for what Naruto had just done, and like Fuyuhiko she wouldn't expect less from her friend. It was totally a "Naruto-move" in her book.

Pfft, a "Naruto-move." Maybe she should patent that.

From a different part of the room, the two parents looked at one another before smiling to themselves.

Naruto had already helped one of their children. If he could do the same for the other, they weren't going to complain.

Not at all.

* * *

"I can't believe you did that. Not even my onii-chan would attempt something like that."

Natsumi was so giddy, she could barely stop herself from laughing.

"He probably wanted to, but being the heir probably stopped him. He totally wanted to kick their asses, though."

"Yeah, I guess so. It wouldn't be fair for me to expect anything different after I passed up the chance to be the heir."

A sour look began to settle on the girl's face as she and Naruto escaped to one of the outer halls in the compound. It was the hall that faced the garden. There was a nice gust of night wind blowing right now, so it was pretty comfortable for the two of them.

Especially for Natsumi who let her hair down. Keeping it in a bun was such a pain.

"You take everything personally, don't you?" Naruto mused out loud, resting next to the wall with his arms crossed. From this angle, he could see the moonlight striking down on the garden.

It was gorgeous.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Not much. Just that it seems like you like to blame yourself first before blaming your brother."

"Isn't that natural?" Natsumi frowned. "He's different from me."

"How?"

"You've been around him. He's not like most people. He's talented, and he will lead the clan to greater heights. He'll be a better leader than even our Papa. That's why it's hard for normal people to understand him."

No, it was impossible. That's why normal people could never be friends with him.

"Hm, that's a high opinion you got of him." Unlike her, Naruto's voice was flat and without admiration.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Natsumi was starting to get defensive. She was glad that Naruto had pulled her out of that situation, but she wasn't enjoying the way he was doubting her words. Doubting her brother.

"In a way." Naruto shrugged. "Fuyuhiko is amazing, but he's not perfect either. For example. Letting his little sister get harassed like that while doing nothing about it. Like I said, it was probably his position that got in the way, but it doesn't make it right."

That, or it was his awkward attempt at showing his trust in his sister. That's what Naruto had come to understand after getting to know him. Fuyuhiko wasn't one to express himself properly. It was because of this awkwardness that it was easy to misinterpret his actions. Peko had done it, and in many ways Natsumi was doing the same thing.

"You shouldn't talk about stuff you don't understand," Natsumi hissed, her eyes narrowing. "He's the heir to the strongest mafia group in the country. Stirring up trouble with important people is just-"

"Politics." Naruto cut her off and shook his head. "I understand Fuyuhiko's position. Believe it or not, he's not the first clan heir I've befriended. But I don't much care for that type of sentiment."

"What?"

"Yeah. I've never once considered it. Stuff like image or status. Politics in general really. To me, they're outdated thoughts that only hinder progress."

Of course, Naruto was speaking from an outsider's perspective. It was easy to dismiss them when you weren't involved in them. He had his background to thank for that.

Regardless, he stood by his words. He might only be able to do so because he wasn't in Fuyuhiko's shoes, but that didn't mean he didn't believe in what he said.

"Like I said, stop ranting about stuff that you know nothing about." Natsumi wasn't having any of it. To her, his words were nothing more than the thoughts of an idiot. "Being put in a tough position like that, having to worry about the fate of so many people. How can you possibly know what that entails?"

"I know what it's like to fight for other people," Naruto stated firmly. "I've been doing it for many years now. I've risked my life many times for those that are precious to me. I still plan on doing it. Your brother? He's one of them. I've made a promise to myself. That's why I wouldn't let something like politics get in the way of helping him. Or any of my friends."

As he said, image and status were nothing more than foolish ideals that didn't factor into his decisions. They never would. Such ideals only led to complications, and more often than not prevented you from helping those you care about.

Like with Fuyuhiko and Natsumi.

Natsumi threw her arms in the air and scowled. "You're insufferable, you know that? How my onii-chan became friends with you is beyond me!"

She might have held some respect for the blond before, but it was gone now. Disregarding her brother's position like that….it annoyed her.

"He didn't make it easy," Naruto said, amused. "He tried to fight it at first, but I guess my charm won the day."

"Urgh, that's really creepy. Never say that again."

Naruto pouted. No one ever believed in his charm. Just terrible.

"Besides, you're saying that from a privileged position too!" Natsumi huffed and turned away from him. She wasn't going to lose this argument. "You go to Hope's Peak Academy. Your future is already decided. That's why you can act so arrogant."

His future? Decided? Naruto almost laughed.

"Things are never that easy, you know. I do have a goal, but beyond that my future is pretty much in the air."

"You have success waiting for you. That's what happens to everyone with talent."

"You're putting too much emphasis on talent." She was like Nagito in that regard. But unlike Nagito, there was a sense of desperation attached to her. A _need_. "Just because you have talent doesn't mean you'll be happy."

Naruto had learned that first hand through his new bonds and his old ones.

Natsumi was annoyed again, but it was far stronger than her previous annoyance. It was borderline anger now.

"You're a total idiot. The biggest idiot I've ever known. No, the biggest idiot that's ever lived! How can you say talent doesn't matter? Of course talent matters! It's all that matters in this world! Without talent, you're nothing! You're below trash!"

Without talent, she couldn't even walk next to her brother whom she loved the most. That's why she was in this position, unable to attend Hope's Peak Academy with him.

How could Naruto just dismiss all that?

He was a total idiot, alright. He was the worst!

Despite not being able to see her face, Naruto knew he had pushed a touchy subject. Natsumi's shoulders were shaking, and she was no doubt close to crying. But they would be tears of anger, not sadness. She was definitely trying to reject everything he was saying.

"Talent isn't everything," Naruto repeated. "If you obsess over it, you'll find that you only have despair waiting for you. I've seen it happen to many people."

Lee came to mind. And in many ways, Naruto was the same. He had been jealous of Sasuke's natural skills in the Academy, and what did that get him? Instead of focusing on himself, instead of bettering himself, he had been jealous of someone else's skills which had only made him frustrated with himself. It didn't lead him anywhere.

Sasuke was more proof of this as well. His talent hadn't made him happy. All the power he attained hadn't brought him the fulfillment he had wished for.

Obsessing over talent….it was one of mankind's greatest mistakes.

"I already know what I want," Natsumi said, her fists shaking. "Just because other people are indecisive doesn't mean I'm the same. I have my goal. It's not an obsession. I can tell the difference. You got that?"

There was a fine line between the two. Trying to distinguish the two wasn't always easy. But then again, most aspects of life were the same way.

Things were rarely straightforward.

"I don't understand why my onii-chan decided to be friends with you," Natsumi added as she started to walk away. "I thought you could understand him, but I guess I was wrong."

Was that so?

Naruto lowered his head a bit. "Tell me something. Do you really think you know your brother? Do you know what he wants?"

Natsumi paused. It looked like she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. Instead, she continued on her way, leaving Naruto alone in the hallway.

That's what it looked like anyway. Naruto knew better.

"Did you hear it all?"

"Only the good bits."

Naruto wasn't surprised when the older Kuzuryu patriarch stepped out from the other end of the hallway.

The man appeared to be amused as he said, "You didn't think I was going to let my teenage daughter be alone with a boy her age, did you?"

Funny.

"Pretty sure if I tried anything, my body would end up somewhere at the bottom of the sea."

And he wasn't talking about what the father would do.

The man knew this, which is why he chuckled.

"True. She's got a fiery spirit. She got that from her mother."

Naruto didn't doubt that for a second.

There was a moment of silence between the two. All that could be heard was the laughter and talking coming from inside the compound. The night was still very much alive in there.

"You are a strange one," the Kuzuryu said after the pause. He walked past Naruto and peered over the steps leading to the garden. Like Naruto, he had to admire how beautiful the flowers looked under the moonlight. He had never been one for gardening and the like. That was his wife's passion. However, he had come to enjoy the sight over the years.

"Tell me, what does a man like yourself want in this world?"

Naruto hadn't been expecting that question of all things. Was it important in some way to the man?

He still answered. "I'm only aiming for one thing. Peace."

"Peace?" The Kuzuryu didn't bother to hide his amused expression. "That's rather vague, don't you think?"

"Not really. It's rather simple and straightforward. I think it fits me very well."

There was laughter. "Ahahaha! Imagine that, someone saying that peace is simple. That's a first for me."

It looked like he was being mocked, but Naruto knew that the man was more curious than judging.

"History is filled with a whole list of ambitious men who have claimed the same thing." The yakuza head looked up at the glowing stars scattered across the sky. It was like they were an assortment of dreams, just ready to be plucked out and held within your palms. Sadly, man's reach wasn't that far yet. "I wonder if you realize the treacherous journey that comes from that goal."

"I've already been warned many times in the past. But I can't afford to look back now."

Otherwise, the sacrifice of so many people would have been for nothing.

"Does my son fit into your plans?"

Plans?

The mirth was clear on Naruto's face. "I don't have a plan. I'm just going where life takes me."

Hmm. That sounded like something Gundham would say, didn't it?

"But if you're asking whether I'd want Fuyuhiko's help or not…..the answer should be obvious."

The father turned to look at him. He couldn't really contain his laughter, too engrossed by what he was hearing.

"Ahahahaha, you really are an interesting one! I can't really pin you down, Uzumaki Naruto. It's been a long time since this has happened to me."

The last being his beloved wife.

"But I can tell that you're sincere in your words." He smiled. "The future is vast, isn't it?"

It really was.

"But even in that vast and empty field, I can't help but hope that you and my son reach heights that no one ever has."

Naruto turned sheepish. "Ehehehe, there's no doubt that we will!"

Because they had each other, and everyone else in their class. That's why anything was possible.

Even the stars were within their grasp.

The two shared another laugh before they headed back to the party. The night was still young, and they were going to enjoy themselves more.

And enjoy themselves they did.

* * *

The day of the festival was finally upon them. It had been a very long week, but at long last they could enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Since it was Saturday, none of the **Ultimates** had to meet for class. They could instead spend the day relaxing and preparing themselves for what the night was going to bring.

That's what Naruto had been planning on doing anyway. He was curious to try out this television thing that was really popular in this world. He had plenty of ramen for the day, and Kurama had his snacks. The two were going to have a good time together.

It was a good plan, a great plan even, but all that changed with a phone call.

"Ah! You're so bold, Naruto-chan! Pulling the moves on this fair maiden! And with that bod of yours!"

Naruto deadpanned as he stood in his doorway. He was wearing nothing but a pair of green sweats. The ever excited Ibuki was before him. She had a guitar case on hand. She was wearing the same sailor uniform she had on when they first met.

"Ibuki….what are you doing here?"

She had suddenly called him, saying she was coming over and to text him the directions to the house. Before Naruto had a chance to ask why, she hung up on him. He was sure the only reason she had called was because she needed his address. Otherwise, she would have just invited herself over.

Well, she still sort of just invited herself, but it wasn't like Naruto had said no

And here they are now, with Ibuki pretending to blush as he answered the door.

"We can't move so quickly in our relationship. We have to show restraint!"

What was she going on about?

"I'm not trying to seduce you."

How would he even go about doing that anyway? Ibuki's romantic interests were as bizarre as Sonia's probably. Maybe more so.

"Eh, you're no fun~" The girl pouted. "You should really go along with Ibuki's jokes. That's the only way you'll be able to survive in the band."

Survive? What was this, some kind of test or something?

"And if you're lucky, Ibuki might just let you join her harem!"

She was still saying that? Wait, was Hiyoko part of that harem? That never got clarified.

So many questions!

Naruto didn't really get her rambling, so he he chose to ignore it. Better for his sanity that way.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

Ibuki gave him a peace sign. "Rejoice, for the great Ibuki has graced you with her presence!"

It was a celebration now?

"But anyway, this place is huge! Ibuki didn't know you were rich, Naruto-chan!"

He wasn't.

"Ibuki thought you were from some village!" Ibuki skipped inside, her eyes taking in every detail of the house. Kurama raised his head to greet her, but he didn't get up from the couch. "Did you lie to us?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Naruto closed the door and trailed after the musician. "But why did you _really_ decide to come over? Did something come up?"

There had to be another reason besides "gracing him with her presence," right?

"Nah, I just wanted to see where you lived."

Well then.

'She just does things on a whim, doesn't she?'

Ibuki was probably more unpredictable than him, which was saying something.

"Ibuki does appreciate the free show, though~" She winked at him as she set the guitar case down. "Any girl would die wanting to touch those muscles of yours~"

Oh, yeah. He was shirtless, wasn't he. Naruto had sort of forgotten about that detail. He had just opened the door without thinking.

If this had been Mahiru, he probably wouldn't have lived to see another day.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Ibuki started to wave her hands in the air, looking _more_ excited. How that was possible, Naruto didn't know. "Ibuki also brought some song sheets with her! We can totally jam out to several tunes! Ibuki has been working on several new songs, and you get to hear them first! Aren't you lucky?"

So that's what the guitar case was for.

At least Naruto knew why she was here now.

"So that's your motive. If you wanted me to listen to your music, you could have just said so."

"Grrrrrrr, you strike this maiden right in her heart!" Ibuki leaned back, like she had just been physically struck. "Ibuki was trying to conceal her motive, but you still saw right through her! You're not to be underestimated, Naruto-chan!"

It wasn't like she had done a good job at hiding it.

Naruto still chuckled. "I'm sure Hiyoko would have enjoyed hearing your songs more. She's like your number one fan."

Out of everyone in the class, Hiyoko was the only one who actually had a good time listening to Ibuki's music. Everyone else had a seizure while Naruto just didn't really get it.

"Mhmm, Ibuki does have a way of reaching cute girls." She crossed her arms and smiled smugly. "That's how she was able to form her old band. Ibuki's skills are beyond this world!"

Her old band? Hadn't Nagito said something about it before? About Ibuki splitting up from her group? That's all Naruto could remember.

But Ibuki leaving her friends like that. It must have been over something serious, otherwise Ibuki wouldn't have made such a decision. As erratic and clumsy as she could be, Naruto knew for a fact that Ibuki took her music very seriously.

"Hm, what's this? You looked troubled, Naruto-chan."

So she noticed. Ibuki was definitely perceptive when she wanted to be.

"Just thinking about stuff."

"Hmm…." Ibuki looked like she wanted to say more on the topic, but she let it go. "Anyway! We only have a few hours to relax under Ibuki's amazing music! After that, Ibuki has to make sure she looks hot enough for the festival!"

Pfft, hot enough?

"You're funny, Ibuki."

"Ehehehe, Ibuki thinks so too~" She stuck out her tongue. "But because of such a great compliment, Ibuki wouldn't mind having a piece of Naruto-chan as a reward."

A piece of him? What was she, a cannibal? And how the heck was that supposed to be a _reward_?

'A reward for her, maybe.'

But for him?

It didn't take long for Naruto to discover that his "cannibal" comment was closer on the mark than he might have liked as Ibuki pounced on him and started to bite him.

"What the hell!?"

"Hehehe, hold still! Ibuki has to munch you! Especially these cheeks of yours!"

Ibuki had turned to a cannibal! All hope was lost!

Yes, Zombie Ibuki was sure to be the world's destroyer. Nothing would stop her.

Cannibal tendencies aside, Naruto still ended up having a good time with Ibuki. It was a bizarre couple of hours, but they weren't boring.

He still didn't understand her music, though.

* * *

" _You know you're late, right?"_

"Cut me a break. I didn't think everyone would show up early!"

After Ibuki's unexpected visit, Naruto had gotten ready for the festival. He was in his brand new kimono, once again admiring just how soft the fabric felt on his skin. He could totally fall asleep in this thing.

Kurama took his favorite position on Naruto's head, looking very excited about the evening's events. He was probably looking forward to spending more time with Gundham's hamsters. There was a definite friendship forming there.

The two left the house a little over five. The festival was set to officially start around four, but showing up at that time when barely any people were going to be around was no fun.

That's what Naruto assumed anyway, but turns out he was totally wrong about that.

" _Only Koizumi and Mitarai haven't shown up yet,"_ Fuyuhiko said to him through the call. _"Mioda is looking ready to explode. She thinks you're trying to bail on the concert."_

Like he would ever.

But Mahiru and Ryota hadn't shown up yet? Naruto was surprised. He would have thought Akane would be late, or maybe even Nekomaru. But Ryota and Mahiru?

Had something happened?

No, they would have contacted them if something important had come up. It was probably nothing serious.

" _Anyway, just get your ass over here. Tanaka wants to start the main event already. Since all of this was your idea, you have to be there when it begins."_

Yeah, yeah.

"I'll be there soon."

He ended the call and took off running. It was hard to do while wearing a kimono, but Naruto made it work.

He arrived at the park around ten minutes later, and he was blown away by what he saw.

"It's packed!"

That was an understatement. The whole park looked filled up. All the stands, all the games, there were already huge lines for every single one of them!

How in the hell had this happened?

"Hahaha, you look surprised, Uzumaki-kun."

Nagito emerged from the crowd to greet the wide-eyed blond. He was wearing his kimono and holding a little fan to keep himself cool. It was technically still summer, so it wasn't a bad idea to have one on hand.

"Nagito! Are you seeing this?"

"Mhmm, it's glorious isn't it?" Nagito smiled as he looked back at the festival grounds. The lights hadn't been turned on yet since it wasn't dark, but it was still a beautiful sight nonetheless. "Everyone is gathered to see all of your talents coming together. It's beyond anything I could have imagined."

No words could express just how happy Nagito was right now.

That didn't really explain the turnout, though…..

Or maybe it did. Naruto had probably underestimated the influence his friends carried, or even Hope's Peak Academy in general. If the general populace caught wind that **Ultimates** were putting on an event like this, then it should be expected that they would come to see what the fuss was all about. After all, this was a group that was popular enough to garner Internet attention, which was supposedly a big deal in this world.

'I still have a lot to learn.'

That was an understatement.

Naruto pushed his surprise to the side. The important part was that people had come. The more people there were the bigger the chances that all the animals would get adopted. It was a win for them.

"You're one of the last ones to arrive," Nagito told him as he fanned himself. "Mioda-san and Saionji-san were very frustrated the last time I saw them. They said they wanted to practice a bit more before the show."

Yeah, Fuyuhiko had said as much. That was his bad.

"We better get moving then."

Nagito agreed.

The two boys trekked through the buzzing festival. It was the festival Naruto and his new friends had come together to make possible. After all the hard work that had been put into this, all that was left was for them to enjoy themselves.

"We're supposed to meet by the stage, right?"

Nagito nodded. "Yes. Most of the others are there. Those like Hanamura-kun are busy with their stands, but I'm sure they'll come to see your performance when it's time."

How thoughtful.

"But there is no reason we can't take a quick look around, right?" Nagito smiled. "I'm sure we still have time."

"I guess."

Gundham was already waiting for him, but Nagito's idea was appealing. They would be heading for the stage anyway, so there was no harm in taking a quick look along the way.

There were people of all ages here. Some were wearing kimonos, while others were in normal clothing. Regardless, they were all having fun.

It's exactly what Naruto wanted to see. Just people enjoying themselves.

"Ah, look. Cotton candy."

They stopped by one of the stands. Cotton candy was one of those things that Naruto was familiar with, even if he was from a different dimension. It always amazed him when he found stuff like this, stuff that was present in both his world and in this one. It showed him that humans truly thought alike even if they were dimensions apart.

It was both funny and glorious.

"It's been a while since I had cotton candy," Nagito told him as they waited in line. "I'm not much for sweets."

Naruto wasn't either, but he still enjoyed it. Hiyoko would probably enjoy it more. Sweets were definitely one of her weaknesses.

"Ah, if it isn't whiskers-kun. I was looking for you!"

Well, this was a surprise. Naruto hadn't expected Ruruka to actually come, but the girl was here. Walking over to him and waving at him like they were good friends.

She wasn't alone. Izayoi was with her, as well as another girl that looked very familiar to Naruto. But he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

The trio were all in kimonos. Ruruka's was pink, Izayoi's red, and the other girl's was black.

"You actually came."

"Of course I did!" Ruruka huffed as the trio joined them. "There are cute pets in need of rescuing, right?"

Naruto was suspicious. "You actually want a pet?"

"You don't have to look at me like that! I can take care of one! Tell him, Yoi-chan! Tell him how responsible I am!"

"Ah." Izayoi didn't share her enthusiasm. In fact, he looked like he wanted to take a nap rather than be here right now. "Yeah, milady is very responsible."

It was milady now, huh?

Ruruka looked pleased. "See? Didn't I tell you?"

Was that really supposed to mean something?

"Hahaha, well if you're looking to adopt, then you should hurry." Nagito smiled at them. "As you can see, many people have shown up. I'm not sure if there are going to be enough pets to go around."

"What?" Ruruka pouted. "You should have gotten more animals then!"

But that's not how adoptions worked?

"Well, whatever. I'm sure it'll work out," she said, her face dismissive.

'She's got confidence, or was it arrogance?' Naruto asked himself. It was hard to tell with her.

"But anyway, this festival isn't half bad." Ruruka placed a finger under her lips as she looked around. "Of course, if you had asked me for help, my sweets would have made this place shine even more!"

Oh yeah. She was the **Ultimate Confectioner** , wasn't she? With that title, Naruto didn't doubt that she could make some great sweets and other candies.

"What do you say, whiskers-kun?" All of a sudden, Ruruka was right in front of the blond. A little too close for comfort if he was being honest. She was shorter than him, but she still looked more intimidating than one would expect. The look on her eyes was that of a predator looking ready to pounce on their prey. "You want to try them? Hmm?"

Okay, why did this make him feel uneasy? Was there something else going on here? Something he didn't know?

Kurama was also on edge, his head lowered. It almost looked like he was poised to attack if Ruruka came any closer.

The other girl shared the same apprehension. "R-Ruruka….."

Nagito simply let the situation play out. He was having too much fun to interfere. But even so, he also had a strange feeling forming in the back of his head. Ruruka's offer was making him wary. But why?

Being a creature of instinct, Naruto stepped back. "I think I'll pass."

He was sure it would taste delicious, but at the same he wasn't going to do anything that made him feel this wary.

The oppressive air around Ruruka disappeared as she took a few steps back as well.

"Awww, that's disappointing. Everyone that tastes them simply can't get enough! I bet you would feel the same way too."

Maybe.

"Oh well, what can you do?" Ruruka shrugged. "I'm still gonna adopt one of the cute doggies, though! What do you say, Seiko-chan?"

Seiko almost squeaked as she became the center of attention. Her tentacle-like hair started to wiggle in anxiousness. Or maybe excitement? It was honestly hard to tell.

"I-I think a dog would be very nice…."

She was fond of pets, even if they didn't like to be near her. Why? Who knows. It was another one of those things Seiko would never understand.

Naruto looked at her again. She definitely looked familiar to him, especially that mask of hers. But wearing a mask with a kimono? How very Kakashi-sensei of her.

"We can take you with us then," Nagito offered. Out of everyone here, he was the one feeling the most lax about the whole situation. Why wouldn't he be? He was seeing a lot of **Ultimates** interacting with one another. Nothing but good could come out of that, right? That earlier weariness was probably nothing.

Ruruka beamed. "So we can get first pick? Yay!" She started to celebrate. "You're a nice guy!"

"Ah." Nagito raised his hand, looking apologetic. "I don't know if-"

"Don't worry about it." Naruto stopped him and shook his head. "She's too busy celebrating to hear you."

Sure enough, Ruruka was already hugging Izayoi about their good fortune.

Naruto just sighed.

This was going to be a long night, he could tell.

* * *

"That's not fair. How could you eat _that_ but not try any of my sweets? It's like a slap in the face!"

"Trust me, if I slapped you, it would really hurt."

"Ah! How can you speak that way to a lady! Repent, you brute! H'mph!"

"Can I just-"

"Ahahaha, no hitting girls, Uzumaki-kun."

"Nagito, you're a saint compared to me."

"Ah. I think you're over exaggerating."

It didn't take the five **Ultimates** too long to reach the stage in the center of the park. Unfortunately, Naruto and Nagito made the mistake of getting their cotton candy before then, which didn't sit well with Ruruka who was once again pouting. Her sweets were definitely a hundred times, no a _thousand_ times better than the cheap filth that they were eating. She guaranteed it!

Fuyuhiko, who was the first to notice them, raised an eyebrow when he saw the three extra newcomers.

"What's going on here?"

Naruto looked mentally exhausted as he walked up to the yakuza. "I don't know. She tagged along with us because she wants to adopt one of the animals."

Fuyuhiko took in his appearance and smirked a little. "What's with you? You look like you want to drop dead."

"You're not far off actually."

Dealing with Ruruka was…..exhausting. Mostly because he had no idea what to make of her. First, she had treated him harshly. And now she was giving him nicknames and being all buddy-buddy. What was up with that?

Fuyuhiko chuckled. "Well, you don't got time to be worrying about that. Sonia wants you to be on stage with her when she gives the introductory speech."

"What? Why?"

If anyone should do it, it had to be her.

"Hell if I know. You know how weird she can be."

"Hey, don't speak ill off Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi said as he appeared from behind the stage. "She never does anything without reason!"

"Yeah, stupid reasons," Fuyuhiko retorted. He had already made up his mind about Sonia's characters. She was definitely like a child to him, always doing things on a whim. Always so excited. Not what he would have expected from a princess, but what can you do.

Kazuichi looked like he wanted to argue some more but instead he turned to Naruto with a small glare. "I've got some things to say to you too!"

Okay, what was this about?

While Naruto was dealing with that, Ruruka was looking around to see if she could find any of the animals that were supposed to be put for adoption today.

"Where are all the cute dogs?"

"I believe they're backstage," Nagito answered as he took another bite from his cotton candy. "That's where all the prep work is being done."

The luckster had also seen Gundham lining them up back there.

This seemed to satisfy Ruruka for the moment. "So we just have to wait, right?" She glanced at Seiko. "What about you, Seiko-chan? Are you going to adopt one as well?"

"W-Well…."

Seiko didn't think that would be a good idea. Not with all of her experiments. There was also the fact that she didn't get along well with animals, as mentioned earlier.

Ruruka huffed. "Stop hesitating. Just get one too. Right, Yoi-chan?"

"Yeah." Izayoi had nothing else to add, but he rarely did.

'Ahahaha, what an interesting trio,' Nagito thought to himself as he observed them.

 **Ultimates** really were carefree, weren't they?

"….so you got that!? I don't want any funny business up there. I'll be watching you!"

Naruto and Fuyuhiko were looking at Kazuichi like he was dirt on the side of the road. Why? Because of the tirade he just went on. Something about Naruto "keeping his hands off Miss Sonia" while the two were on stage. Whatever that meant. The two had really zoned out somewhere in the middle.

Listening to it all would have been...disturbing.

"Ah, foolish mortal."

Gundham emerged from the backstage this time. Naruto was a bit surprised to see that Gundham's kimono was pretty "normal." The color was a mix of Nagito's and Fuyuhiko's, but it didn't have any other special accessory. And of course, he still wore his usual scarf.

Speaking of the scarf, four blurs jumped down from it, just as Kurama jumped down from Naruto's head. It was the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. The four little hamsters and Kurama squatted down and started to converse with one another. Naruto had no idea how that worked, but that's what it looked like.

Gundham didn't bat an eye to this. He was instead focused on Naruto. "It's about time you got here. As the main architect of this feast, it is your duty to arrive first."

Hey, he was here, wasn't he?

"Yeah, sorry." He still apologized. "I guess that sort of slipped my mind. But what's this about a speech I'm giving?"

"It was the Dark Queen's idea. She wanted to thank everyone for coming today and to highlight the importance of forming a contract with one of these familiars." Gundham smiled. "She has some wonderful ideas sometimes, I must admit."

Oh, what's this? Gundham giving a straightforward compliment? How rare. He must be feeling really relaxed right now.

Naruto smiled as well. If Gundham was okay with it, he wasn't going to say no.

Kazuichi just sulked. "I don't know why, but I'm not liking this."

Fuyuhiko simply rolled his eyes. 'Idiot.'

Finally getting a moment to himself, Naruto noted that the stage already had all the equipment set up for the concert. Ibuki had probably done it, or at least told one of the employees to do it.

But man, he was really going to do it, huh? He was really going to take part in a concert despite having no skills. Even after practicing for the last several days, Naruto knew he sucked.

'But it's for Ibuki….'

Backing out now would just be uncool.

Funnily enough, just as he was thinking this, a blur tackled the blond to the ground. Naruto felt the air leave his lungs as Ibuki's scowling face hovered over his own.

"You're totally late, Naruto-chan! What gives!"

Fuyuhiko, Gundham, and Kazuichi sweatdropped while Nagito just chuckled. Ruruka, Izayoi, and Seiko were just plain confused.

Was this normal?

"I was only a few minutes late at best." Arguing back probably wasn't the best of ideas, but it was true! It wasn't like he had disappeared or anything.

"It's totally shameful! A guy should always arrive first. Don't you know how this is supposed to work!?"

Ooooookay, what was she talking about this time?

"Huh!? Are you some kind of monkey who has to jump on top of people!?" Hiyoko's irritated voice trailed behind. Sonia was with her as well, all smiles and rainbows at the moment. "Why do you have to do something so stupid?"

Ibuki grinned. "It's physical education!"

Kazuichi deadpanned. "Isn't that torture?"

"Eh, maybe?"

You're scaring people, Ibuki.

'No, you're scaring me!' Naruto cried out in his head.

"Anyway, as long as you're here, it's all good!"

Then why the tackle!?

Complaints aside, Naruto was able to get up on his feet after that. As he did, he saw Ibuki's kimono for the first time. Her right sleeve had been cut off, with the right portion having a lighter shade of purple from the rest. It matched Ibuki perfectly in Naruto's opinion.

"Now that Naruto has arrived, we can finally get started," Sonia said while clapping her hands. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and hanging loosely over her shoulder. It gave the princess a different vibe from usual.

Kazuichi gave her a quick salute. "Just say the word Miss Sonia, and I'll pass the message through the speakers."

'Sonia didn't miss anything,' Naruto thought as Kazuichi got to work.

"That means we have to get ready too, right?" Ibuki perked up, looking fired up.

"So soon?" Hiyoko looked smug. "But I guess that's only normal, right? Most people probably only came because they heard I was performing tonight."

"H'mph, don't get ahead of yourself," Gundham cut in. "After the Dark Queen does her announcement, the familiars will take center stage. Your foul lyrics would only hamper the process."

"Ehehe, thank you for the kind words~"

Ibuki…..that wasn't meant to be a compliment.

"But awwww, we have to wait then?" Ibuki's shoulders sagged. "Ibuki was all fired up to get started."

"Too fired up if you ask me," Fuyuhiko muttered. Would things really go okay? Knowing Ibuki, she probably only prepared the worst of songs for today.

Despite his fears, everything was set to go underway.

"Ah, that reminds me." Naruto looked back to Fuyuhiko. "Do you know where the others are?"

The yakuza shrugged. "Around. They don't have anything to do with the setup anymore, so they're enjoying the festival."

Good on them. But knowing Akane, she was probably monopolizing Teruteru's stand. Her stomach was truly a bottomless pit.

'I just hope Mahiru and Ryota get here soon.'

Having them miss the adoption would be terrible.

* * *

As planned, Sonia took to the stage to begin her message. There was a mic for her to use, which Kazuichi had set up to connect to all the speakers spread throughout the park.

Naruto was beside her. When Sonia began to speak, it was like a whole side of her was awoken. For the first time since meeting her, Naruto felt like he wanted to drop to one knee and bow his allegiance to her forever.

'Was this the aura of the **Ultimate Princess**?'

How frightening.

Gundham began to lead the animals up on the stage. Well, it looked more like Kurama and the Four Dark Devas were doing the leading as they went on stage as well.

"Woah, it's like an animal parade," Ibuki whistled, impressed.

Ruruka squealed in excitement. "Awwwe, they're all so cute!"

Most of the animals were dogs, but there were many cats, hamsters, and birds in the mix too. Gundham had gathered quite a bit of them over the years.

All of the animals did their best to look as calm and orderly as possible. They were definitely aware of what this was all about.

'Hah, only Gundham could keep so many animals in line like this,' Naruto said to himself, grinning somewhat.

"I want to once again extend my thanks for your participation tonight," Sonia was saying as her speech began to wrap up. "I hope that we can make tonight a very memorable night, not just for us but to all the wonderful animals up on this stage!"

By this point, a large crowd had already begun to gather around the stage. It was a true testament to Sonia's skills as there were no stands or games set up in this area of the park.

After Sonia uttered her final word, the crowd broke into cheers. The girl took a deep breath, looking quite satisfied with her success.

Naruto placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You did great."

Sonia smiled and nodded. "I thank you for your support as well, Naruto."

She said that, but Naruto didn't think he had done anything at all to deserve that. He had just stood here like an idiot. But who was he to argue with a princess?

Things progressed quickly after that. Fuyuhiko had several of his yakuza enforcers make a line to make sure that things went smoothly. This was done because only a certain amount of people were allowed on the stage at a time to look at the animals. Otherwise, it would be pure chaos up there.

Ruruka had to grumble as she wasn't allowed to skip.

"So unfair!" she cried out.

Thankfully, Seiko managed to calm her down somewhat. Or maybe it was because Naruto allowed her to pet Kurama as compensation. Either way, crisis averted!

"Things are going smoothly, aren't they?"

"Hm?" Naruto raised an eyebrow when he saw Ibuki standing next to him. The two were off to the side from where the line was, just watching everything proceed as planned. Nagito was talking to Hiyoko in a very excited manner about something. Hiyoko looked like she wanted to run away, but Nagito didn't seem to notice. Gundham was on stage with Sonia, helping anyone with any questions they may have while Kazuichi followed them with an envious glare. And finally, Fuyuhiko made sure everything was in order with the waiting line, standing with several of his enforcers. He really did look like a yakuza leader.

Good on him.

"All of this." Ibuki stretched out her arms and grinned. "Ibuki thinks it's beautiful. If there was a song for it, it'd be 'The Gathered Stars on the Stage'…..or something!"

Naruto almost snorted. "Did anyone ever tell you that your titles for your songs are a bit too literal?"

"Ehehehe, lots of people!" With both hands on her hips, Ibuki puffed out her chest. "But Ibuki likes her titles, so she will keep doing them!"

Ah, but of course. Ibuki was a free spirit. Trying to tame her was impossible.

"Is that why you left your old band?" Naruto hadn't meant to ask that question, he really hadn't. But before he could stop himself, the words came flying out.

"Oh, what's this?" Instead of looking insulted, Ibuki grinned. "Is Naruto-chan interested in Ibuki? You're moving so fast!"

"Don't start saying weird stuff too."

She certainly gave Kazuichi and Teruteru a run for their money.

"But we're both weird, right?" She bumped hips with him, still giving off that cheeky grin of hers. "You can understand Ibuki, right?"

Oh, so that's what it was.

"Music is the very definition of freedom," Ibuki continued, already knowing that Naruto understood her answer. "Reducing it to mere numbers, to ticket prices, to one genre. There's no fun in that. To limit yourself as an artist…it's one of the worst things you can do in your life. That's what I believe."

What _she_ believed.

Naruto bowed his head and smiled. "You have a nice way with words sometimes. You know that, right?"

"Psst, only sometimes? More like always!" Ibuki poked him on the shoulder. "But you're not so bad yourself, Naruto-chan. Combining so many different elements together into a single piece. No one else could possibly do it. Your melody might be the best in the world!"

His melody, was it?

"Shouldn't it be _our_ melody?"

It was one of ups and downs, of twists and turns. And it definitely had its out-of-tune moments. It was a complicated melody for sure, but one that couldn't be found anywhere else.

A melody that was worth more than any gold record.

Right?

Ibuki merely grinned at him.

* * *

 **Poor, poor Seiko. Will Naruto be able to remember her? Will she have her moment in the sun? Who can know.**

 **But anyway, this chapter took longer than I would have liked. Mostly because I had to do a lot of editing, especially towards the end. I had to take out certain parts, add other parts, and also split it into two. The chapter was getting too long. There are some things I want to set up for later, so I have to take my time with the conclusion of this arc.**

 **More importantly, Ibuki got a lot of love this time around. I honestly hadn't planned on it. It just sort of happened.**

 **Oh no, am I in Ibuki's harem now!?**

 **That's all from me.**

 **Till next time.**


	19. A Performance To Remember

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18:  
** **A Performance To Remember**

"Wow, that's incredible, Nanami-san! This is the third time in a row!"

Mikan's voice lacked its usual stutter and meekness. The reason for this being obvious.

She was having a lot of fun.

It was kind of scary for her to think about. She was having fun. So much fun that nothing else seemed to matter right now. It was like tonight existed in a different plane of existence, where she could just hang back and have fun with all her new friends.

That last part might be a bit of an over exaggeration, but that's how happy Mikan was right now.

The nurse, who was in her kimono with her hair tied in a bun just how Sonia had instructed her, was hanging out with Chiaki at the moment. The two girls had been some of the first ones to arrive to the park. They were both excited to see how things turned out, but for different reasons. Chiaki wanted to see how people took to her games, and Mikan just wanted to have a pleasant evening with her friends.

They had met up and decided to hang out for a bit, just the two of them. They had visited Teruteru's stall earlier and had heard Sonia's message through the speakers. Now, they were at a different stall where Chiaki was attempting to win a stuffed animal for herself. All she had to do was shoot down several targets with a toy gun, something that proved to be very easy for the **Ultimate Gamer**.

Mikan was more than impressed as she cheered Chiaki on, who was now attempting to win her fourth stuffed animal. The one on her sights this time was a stuffed fox, because it reminded her of a certain blond friend of hers.

'I'm sure Tsumiki-san will like it as a gift.'

Chiaki was fine sharing her victory prizes with the others. Playing the game itself was more than enough fun for her.

"Oh wow, Big Sis. That's some fine aiming you got there. Are you in the military?"

The two girls paused when the child-like voice reached them. It took them another second to realize the voice was coming from behind them. When they turned, they found a very short boy looking up at them. He was wearing the Hope's Peak uniform and was holding a bag full of pastries. He had a bowl haircut and puffy cheeks. With his height and other features, he definitely looked like a child alright. But his uniform…...

Chiaki then realized he was talking to her.

"Oh, um. Thank you. But no, I'm not in the military."

But that would be sort of cool. Leading people like a video game. Chiaki was sure she could do it…..maybe.

Or maybe not. Real life was not like a video game. Your character didn't reset after death. Trying to compare the two was childish of her.

"That's a shame, you have real talent. Gorgeous too."

Chiaki was a bit stunned by the straightforward compliment, but she still accepted it.

"Thank you."

"Your friend too." The boy took one of the pastries from his bag and started munching on it. "Either of you interested in having sex with me?"

Now that was beyond straightforward. It was the first time Chiaki was in a situation like this, if she was being honest. She didn't socialize much before coming to Hope's Peak Academy, so to be approached like this…..it was totally new for her.

Mikan on the other hand was more familiar with situations like this. However, while in the past she would have been more open to please people so that they wouldn't start ignoring her, she had started to change from then.

"U-Um, we're good thank you. We're not really interested in that sort of stuff….."

Mikan rejected him as nicely as she could. It was the first time she was doing that, rejecting someone. It felt…..liberating.

"Aw man, that's a shame." The boy didn't seem to mind all that much. "I guess I'll have to follow my original plan and hit up the girls from Hope's Peak. Did you hear? They're all supposed to be beauties."

Mikan didn't understand this guy at all.

Chiaki neither. "You're from Hope's Peak, aren't you?"

"Yeah, my uniform gave me away, huh?"

"You didn't wear a kimono?"

"Are you kidding? I'd look more like a little kid than I already do. And my face would stand out even less." At this, he seemed disappointed. "My features are very common, don't you think? They don't make me stand out at all."

True enough, it had taken Mikan and Chiaki a few moments to even notice him. Although that could also be because he was shorter than both of them.

"I think I can make my mark today, though." The boy happily munched on his pastry as he took a look around. "When I first heard about this festival, I was surprised. **Ultimates** don't usually work together, ya know? And when they do, it's not as a class."

That was virtually unheard of.

"R-Really?" Mikan started to become curious about this. "Your class doesn't work together?"

"Huh? Hell no." He shook his head. "I'm in class 77-A, the newest batch. We're not united at all. Especially this one troublesome guy. He never even shows up to class. Then again, I rarely do too."

There was no point. Rarely anyone talked to one another. Those that did only did it out of necessity, for group projects and such. There was no friendship to be found there.

There was no "hope" that Hope's Peak boasted so much about.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Chiaki was sincere with her words, knowing full well how gloomy that must feel.

Meanwhile, Mikan had to wonder, if Naruto hadn't been in their class, would they have been the same way? Nothing more than strangers who barely talked to one another and didn't care about the other at all?

How lonely.

"I don't think you should give up so easily," Mikan said, her face timid. She didn't think she could be good at encouraging people, but she wanted to give it a try. "Our class was the same way, but we've been able to come together. It hasn't always been easy, b-but it's been so much fun!"

"Your class?" The boy stopped munching as understanding washed over him like a bucket of water. "You two, you're from class 77-B, aren't you?"

Guilty as charged.

"I should have realized sooner!" He started munching on his pastries again. "I really feel like my skills of observation failed me just now. And you rejected me too. That's a bigger shame."

'He just says what's on his mind, doesn't he?' Chiaki sort of admired that, despite his mind being filled with lewd thoughts.

"I'm Kamishiro Yūto. Nice to meet you…..formally that is."

At least they had his name now. That was good.

"Tsumiki Mikan. I-It's a pleasure as well."

"Nanami Chiaki."

"Mhmm, I'll make sure to remember those names." The now named Yūto glanced around. "But hey, if you any of your female friends is interested in having sex with me, just let me know. I'll be around. If you can find me that is."

His talent made sure that he was hard to spot. He both hated and loved it. It was truly a double-edged sword. But that was pretty much the case for just about everything in his life.

"O-Okay." Mikan blushed a little at his bluntness. She couldn't believe he had so much confidence in himself. Her past self would have definitely been on the floor from embarrassment. She was still embarrassed, but she was able to keep herself steady. Chiaki's presence helped a lot in that.

Chiaki just tilted her head as Yūto started to walk off, taking another pastry from his bag as he took in the sights.

"He's very weird."

It was almost like that was a requirement to entering Hope's Peak Academy or something.

"I-I don't think I could get along with him very well," Mikan admitted. She didn't like speaking ill of others, but it was the truth. While she may not look or act like it, she was a romantic at heart. Acting so blunt toward sex and having it with just anyone….Mikan didn't like that sort of thing. Unfortunately, it was her very strong desire to please others to make sure that she wasn't forgotten that clashed with that romantic side of her.

That, and Mikan knew that she also had a darker side to her as well. Despite her shyness, she could definitely be _indecent_ from time to time. When she was alone of course. These days, most of this _indecency_ revolved around a certain blond.

Mikan blushed just thinking about it.

'N-Now isn't the time for that…..'

She was here to enjoy a simple festival with her friends. She could worry about that other stuff later.

In private.

Chiaki just shrugged the whole thing off and went back to her game. She needed that fourth plushy dammit.

The two of them continued to have fun.

* * *

'I'm a total idiot.'

Yasuke was convinced he was cursed. He had to be. Otherwise, why would he bother coming to this stupid festival with all these stupid people around? He could be back at Hope's Peak right now, working on his many projects that he needed to complete.

And yet, he was here.

Why?

Yasuke wasn't wearing a kimono. Not a chance. He'd rather drop dead before wearing something like that. He was in his messy school uniform, as usual. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his sandals. It wasn't worth the effort.

Besides, he was sure he wouldn't be here for too long. He was simply curious. Yeah, that's all. He just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He was interested to see what Uzumaki and the others in his class had put together.

'No one in my class would do this.'

They were all busy advancing their talents, just like he was. There was no time for pointless crap like this. They were the chosen ones. They were blessed with talents. That's why they needed to make sure they used their talents wisely and for the sake of the future.

And yet, as he watched all the smiling faces around him, Yasuke had to wonder if his ideal was truly ideal.

But….no, it had to be. He was working hard for the future, so that other people didn't have to go through the same bullshit he experienced. Someone like Uzumaki couldn't understand that, though. That guy was only goofing off with his friends, nothing more. They were all wasting their time, wasting their skills.

It was frustrating.

'Ah, the adoption is that way.'

Yasuke had heard the announcement earlier, and the speech that some girl had given. He wasn't here for the animals, though. They really didn't interest him. However, he was sure that Uzumaki was down that way. Meeting that guy now….

The thought alone put a bad taste in Yasuke's mouth.

The boy was about to turn the opposite way when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

How odd. No one ever called him. Only one person did, and that was….

'Crap.'

Yasuke pulled out his phone from his pocket and answered it.

"Junko."

Sure enough, it was his only friend calling him. Right on time. Well, it was past the normal time actually. But that was his fault, not hers.

" _Fiiiiiiinnnallly."_ Her drawn out voice came from the other end. _"I called you like three times already! What gives? You never miss my calls."_

All the noise and distractions around here must have made Yasuke not notice his phone vibrating. It was a bit embarrassing if he was being honest.

"Sorry. I'm just sort of distracted right now."

" _Distracted? You? Hey, wait. What's with all that noise? You got people working with you?"_

She knew that wasn't the case. Yasuke always worked alone. In rare occasions he asked assistance from others, but that was only if he _really_ needed the help. Which rarely happened.

"No, I'm at a festival right now."

" _A festival? You? Pffft!"_ Her beautiful laughter rang in his ear. That was probably him just being bias, though, labeling her laughter as 'beautiful' of all things. _"No way, you hate that stuff! Are you wearing a kimono? Am I missing something rare?"_

"T'ch. Shut up, dumbass. It's nothing serious. I just wanted to check it out. That's all."

" _Hmm."_ She started humming. Yasuke knew he had piqued her interest. And to Junko, that was something worth more than gold. _"This is the first time you've done something like this. Is that place really that fascinating? That Hope's Peak or whatever?"_

She was over-analyzing this. She was always doing crap like that. It honestly put Yasuke on edge at times. Junko's talent was not something anyone wanted to mess with.

"You're putting too much thought into this. Some students here organized an event. Probably led by that idiot, but-"

" _That idiot?"_ She cut him off. Crap, he'd said too much. He should have put more thought into what he was saying. But the damage was done. _"What idiot? I know you don't like people, but to single someone out. Must be someone interesting, huh?"_

Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap. She was definitely interested now. Not good. This was the last thing Yasuke had wanted to happen.

"It isn't. This place is just a means to an end for me. I don't care about anyone else here. You know this."

And that's all Yasuke wanted to say on the matter.

But Junko's mind was already working, her gears turning. She was connecting a lot of dots together. It was a specialty of hers. Even with little information, she could figure things out most people couldn't.

Junko hated this part of her.

" _Well, I don't care regardless. I'm too busy with this new photoshoot that's coming up. Seriously, these people are going to work me to death. I'm a delicate flower. They should realize this."_

It was pointless crap. Yasuke knew this. Junko didn't really care for modeling or her status among high school girls. Why she did it, Yasuke didn't know. Maybe to pass the time somehow? It was just another part of Junko's character that confused him. It was happening a lot these days, and some part of him worried greatly about this.

If he couldn't understand his only friend, then who else was there?

" _But you know, maybe I should join Hope's Peak Academy with you."_

Wait, what?

"Why?"

It was baffling. Yasuke knew Junko didn't care about the supposed reputation Hope's Peak Academy had. He didn't either. He was only here because of the opportunities it opened up for him. All the hype about **Ultimates** and all the extra crap was not in his radar.

" _Well, normal high school is boring. Like, extra boring. So boring that I want to slice my head off sometimes. Or maybe have the teacher do the decapitating herself. Whatever works. And don't get me started on my so-called classmates. Is it illegal to order someone to stab someone else? Oh wait, it is. That's a bummer. I'm getting bummed out just thinking about it. Like I want to slice my head off. Oh, I already said that. This is so boring I'm forgetting what I'm saying. Can you understand how terrible this is?"_

Believe it or not, Yasuke could. Normal people were a bore. It was one of the few things he could fully agree with her on. However, unlike her, he didn't fixate on it. He simply kept to himself, finding it easier to go about his life that way. Besides, other people would only distract him from his one true purpose.

" _So yeah, maybe that school can make stuff interesting for me! That, and I've been sorta mulling something over recently. I'll probably need your help for it."_

What was she thinking about now?

" _But I can tell you about that stuff later! Maybe. Anyway, enjoy that festival of yours. Oh, and your new friend. Pfft-ehehehe!"_

Uzumaki was _not_ his-!

Oh, she hung up.

Sighing, Yasuke pocketed his phone again. For some reason, he was feeling tired all of a sudden. That was happening a lot, almost every time he talked to Junko. He didn't understand why.

And this "something" she was mulling over…..it was putting him on edge again. He found it really hard to predict her these days, and that wasn't something he liked. Not knowing stuff, to be precise.

'Junko….'

Well, whatever. It was probably something stupid. She did that a lot, to try and make things more "exciting."

'I should go.'

Yasuke was about to head out and head back to the Science Building when he spotted a stuffed animal of his favorite manga character in one of the stalls nearby. It was a small thing. And it was sure to be a waste of time. But Yasuke still found himself walking over to the stall.

A few more minutes wouldn't hurt anyone.

* * *

Things were still busy back at the stage, where the adoption process was fully underway. Gundham made sure to question any and all who participated. He wanted to make sure they were serious about taking care one of his precious "familiars." He wasn't going to let them go with just anyone, after all. That was the kind of guy he was.

Sonia provided support wherever she could while Kazuichi just followed after them. At first, it had been out of jealousy. But over time, he got sucked in the whole thing. Gundham was acting different than normal. He was serious, and he didn't bother messing around. This meant a lot to him. Kazuichi could see this. That's why he felt compelled to help and started doing just that, telling Gundham about anyone who looked fishy and keeping his eye on any potential troublemakers.

They made a good trio, in Naruto's mind.

The blond wasn't on the stage. He was off to the side with Fuyuhiko while Ibuki talked to some of the people waiting in line, telling them fantastical stories that she made up. It was amusing if nothing else.

"So your sister isn't coming?"

"When I told her you were going to be here, she flat out refused." Fuyuhiko sighed. "I have no idea what happened between you two, but you really pissed her off."

"Eh, I don't think I did anything." Naruto scratched his cheek in thought. "I only told her to not idolize you."

"Ha, trying to talk sense into her is almost impossible." Fuyuhiko cracked a small exasperated grin. "She's always been crazy. Worse still, no one outside of our family has ever stood up to her. I think it's gotten to her head."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Shut the fuck up. I can still stab you."

No, he couldn't.

"I don't think words alone are going to be enough to dissuade her." Fuyuhiko was convinced of this. He had been trying to talk her out of her obsession with talent for a while now. No matter what he said, she was never convinced.

"They do say that actions speak louder than words," Naruto said with a shrug. "Maybe she just has to see that she doesn't need talent."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"No idea."

Fuyuhiko nearly facepalmed. "You're useless."

"Hey! That's not true, and you know it. I'm a pretty reliably guy to have around."

"Yeah, reliable to get you into complicated messes."

"You know you love it. You're having fun, right? I bet Peko-chan is too. Speaking of which, where is she? She did come, right?"

"Yeah, she's here."

She was probably out in the festival somewhere. Fuyuhiko didn't know. All he had told her was to go out and have some fun, and that he would join her later after this adoption nonsense was over. It was for the best. Fuyuhiko knew the girl needed to loosen up a bit, and that could never happen if he was always around her.

That's what he was hoping for anyway.

Their conversation had to stop there as the sound of a commotion started to reach them. It was coming from somewhere in the waiting line.

Naruto did a quick scan. It didn't take him long to find the source of the commotion. It was a group of guys, who appeared to be around seventeen or so, surrounding another group, only that this group was made up of kids. Five kids to be precise. One was even in a wheelchair. Despite their size, they were looking ready for a fight.

"We already told you that we were here first!" One of the girls was screaming and pointing at who Naruto suspected was the ring leader of the older group. The girl had two pigtails and bright pink hair. She was in a pinkish kimono that matched her hair and wore a pink hairband with horns.

"If you want to go on stage, then wait your turn like everyone else!"

"Yeah!" One of the other kids, a boy this time, tried to back her up. He had spiky red hair and bright blue eyes, with a pair of headphones hanging loosely around his neck. Unlike the girl, he wasn't in a kimono but shorts and a red and black striped t-shirt.

"Damn stupid kids, it's only a couple of spots. What does it matter?"

"If it doesn't matter, then leave already." The third kid who spoke up, another boy, was a lot calmer than the previous two. He was in a kimono, a white one in fact. It complimented his blue hair rather nicely. "You're causing a scene. You don't want to get kicked out, do you?"

"You think you can threaten us?" One of the teens pointed to the stage where Sonia was. "Do you know who that is? I doubt it since you're just brats. And even if you did, you probably wouldn't know what to do with her."

"Lousy jerk!" The pink haired girl wasn't giving up. "You can't just push us out of line like this!"

"Is that a challenge?"

The teens were growing annoyed, that much was obvious. But would they really resort to physical violence when dealing with a couple of kids?

Turns out they would as one raised his fist and aimed for the pink haired girl. It was the quickest way to dealing with the situation in his mind. It would scare them off, and they could continue with their many fantasies about Sonia.

Sadly for him, Naruto had already seen what he was about to do and was one step ahead. The guy didn't get anywhere near striking range before he was pinned to the ground, with Naruto twisting his arm behind his back.

Even while wearing a kimono, Naruto could move _very_ fast.

"Ow-what the fuck!?"

He wasn't the only one surprised. The other teens took a step back, not having seen Naruto until after the blond was pinning their friend down. The kids were in the same boat, as was Fuyuhiko who was left standing alone before he realized what Naruto had done.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" The teens were able to come out of their stupor and turned to glaring at Naruto. "Get off him!"

"Not until he understands that his careless actions have consequences." Naruto pressed down harder, causing the teen under him to flinch in pain. "Hitting a defenseless girl, who do you think you are?" Naruto turned his attention to the pink haired girl who was watching everything with wide eyes, as were the other kids around her. "You alright, little one?"

"E-Eh?" The girl started to blush when she realized he was talking to her. "Y-Yes! Um, thank you!"

She was obviously too startled to think properly right now.

Naruto nodded. "Alright. Now as for you." He focused back on the guy below him. "You're going to leave now, you got it? Troublesome guys like you aren't welcomed here."

"What!?" The other teens were outraged. "What gives you the right!?"

"These guys right here." Fuyuhiko was quick to make his presence known as well, having heard enough. He brought two of his "underlings" with him. Said underlings didn't bother hiding the fact that they were armed and ready to exact less than peaceful measures to keep the order.

The group of teens knew they didn't have a leg to stand on here. They looked at one another and came to a quick decision.

They were going to leave. They didn't want to risk their lives over something so stupid. They still made sure to shoot Naruto nasty glares as they were escorted out, especially the one he had pinned down. He was only lucky Naruto hadn't broken his arm, which would have been very easy to do in that situation.

"Ahahaha, that was incredible, Uzumaki-kun!" Nagito came walking up to them with Hiyoko in tow. "You handled those troublemakers spectacularly! You as well, Kuzuryu-kun!"

"Jeez, why do you sound so happy?" Hiyoko blanched. "It was an annoying situation, don't you know?"

"I definitely agree." Nagito's face started to darken a little. "They should be lucky that their punishment was so light. Not understanding the greatness before them…..people who don't understand their place are worth less than trash."

Hiyoko suddenly wanted to stand as far away from Nagito as possible.

Fuyuhiko merely shook his head. "T'ch, stupid fool."

"Ah, but that's not important anymore." Almost instantly, Nagito returned to his normal go-happy-self. "We shouldn't let that ruin the fun for us, right?"

He was met with silence, which was only broken by the red haired kid whispering a little bit too loudly to the others.

"This guy is weird."

"Still, we must give our thanks." It was the blue haired kid who stepped forward. "We thank you for helping us just now. We had no idea what we were going to do until you showed up."

"What? That's not true!" The redhead huffed and stomped his foot on the ground. "I could have taken care of those guys, Nagisa, and you know it!"

"Yeeeaaahhh, I don't really think that's what happened." The final boy of the group finally spoke up. He was in a brown kimono and wore a freaky looking leather mask. It definitely made him look dangerous, but his tone of voice was more reserved than the others. "You looked totally scared just now, Masaru. Kotoko would have totally gotten hit just now if this guy hadn't done anything."

"S-Shut up, Jataro! You didn't have to say that out loud!"

The final girl giggled. She was the one in the wheelchair. She had short green hair with matching eyes. Like her friend, she was in a kimono. It was pale blue.

"Now, now. We can't be getting into an argument right now. We still have to be thankful to our kind samaritan."

Samaritan? Naruto had no idea what that meant, but he was still impressed when he saw the four other kids lower their heads and heed her words.

"Right, of course." The girl named Kotoko skipped over to him and bowed. "I thank you personally for saving me just now, mister. You were totally adorbs just now."

Adorbs? That was a funny way of putting it, but Naruto accepted her gratitude.

"Don't mention it. We put on this festival for everyone to enjoy. I wasn't about to let those jerks ruin your experience."

"Eh?" Kotoko looked surprised. "You're the one who organized the festival?"

"Well, not just me." Grinning, Naruto gestured to Fuyuhiko, Nagito, and Hiyoko. "It was a group effort. Everyone from our class pitched in."

"So you're from Hope's Peak Academy." The blue haired kid, Nagisa, nodded in understanding. "I see now. Your speed earlier. That sort of thing would only be possible if you were an **Ultimate**."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You know about **Ultimates**?"

Even little kids were in the know-how. Hope's Peak Academy was truly popular alright.

"But it's only natural." Hiyoko raised her sleeve to cover up her smug look. "I'm always recognized wherever I go. That's why you should be thankful that you can talk to me whenever you want, Big Bro. It's not a privilege I give to just anyone."

Right, right. Whatever made her happy.

Fuyuhiko wasn't buying it, though. "Cut the bullshit. You cling to Uzumaki like a little puppy these days. It's more like the other way around if you ask me."

The blush on Hiyoko's face could rival the sun in brightness. "Y-You lowly yakuza….don't say such stupid things! I can take you down!"

Fuyuhiko wasn't afraid. He was amused really. "Heh, try it if you dare. It'd be interesting if nothing else."

"You little…."

"So she's an **Ultimate** too?" Masaru pointed at Hiyoko. "She looks like our age, though. Can you skip grades?"

Hiyoko's ire switched from Fuyuhiko to Masaru, who went deathly pale when he noticed Hiyoko's murderous gaze on him.

"What did you just say, you little twerp?"

"U-Um-!"

"Now this is a first." Nagisa seemed pleased. "Someone who can actually make Masaru shut up. It's great, right?"

Kotoko nodded. "Mhmm!"

Jataro tilted his head. "I don't know, you guys. It's a little bit freaky to me. But, ah. My opinion doesn't matter, does it?"

"I think Masaru was out of line just now." The girl on the wheelchair folded her arms on her lap. "If he gets into trouble, then it's on him."

Masaru looked teary-eyed by her words. "That's just mean, Monaca! I only said the truth! She's short and flat! She's totally our age!"

'Oh boy.' Naruto and Fuyuhiko looked away, knowing the kid had just dug his grave. Nagito just chuckled to himself.

"You totally said it now." Hiyoko started to crack her knuckles as she approached the shaking Masaru. "You're not Tsumiki, but I'm going to take my time teaching you how to speak to a lady."

"B-Bring it on!" With shaky knees, Masaru put on a fighting stance. It wasn't intimidating in the least. "I can take you! Y-You're probably weak anyway!"

Seems like he was too young to grasp the concept of a pissed off high school girl.

You weren't going to win that fight.

And the torture began, Masaru's screams echoing throughout the park.

This festival was totally kid friendly!

* * *

"We'd like to thank you one last time for your assistance." It was Monaca who was expressing her thanks to the blond. "We're not sure if we can adopt one of the animals here, but we wanted to see one."

"I bet they're totally adorbs!" Kotoko beamed as she hugged Naruto's arm. The little girl was totally smitten with him, probably because of his actions earlier.

"The guy running this thing is a total hardass." Fuyuhiko crossed his arms as he looked over to Gundham. "I doubt he'd let you take one."

"We sort of expected that." Nagisa wasn't troubled by this at all. As Monaca had said, they were only here to look. They wanted a break from their bleak lives. That's why they had come to this festival in the first place. It was close, and it was being run by **Ultimates**. It was a total win for them.

"Say, say!" Kotoko nudged Naruto who looked down at her. "What is your **Ultimate** talent? I'm the **Li'l Ultimate Drama**!"

 **Li'l Ultimate**?

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, not understanding the title at all. These kids weren't like Hiyoko, right?

"You haven't heard of it?" Nagisa said. "We're from the Hope's Peak Elementary School. It's not as glamorous as the main school, but I would have thought an **Ultimate** would know about it."

"That place." Unlike Naruto, Fuyuhiko wasn't as surprised. "I had heard of it, but this is the first time I'm meeting a student from there."

Naruto was somewhat dumbfounded if he was being honest. An Elementary division? For little kids? First the Reserve Department and now this. Hope's Peak was a lot bigger than he'd first thought.

"This is also a first time for us," Nagisa replied. He was definitely a lot more calm and level-headed than Masaru. "Monaca and the others were kind of excited to meet an **Ultimate**."

He was too, but he wasn't going to say that.

"And you're totally cool!" Kotoko had sparkle in her eyes. "You were like a guardian angel."

Naruto turned sheepish by the praise. "I think that's going too far….."

"Hell yeah, he's the last guardian angel you'd want." Fuyuhiko threw a smirk Naruto's way. "You'll probably end up dead from all the mishaps he gets into."

Naruto grumbled. "You need to learn how to speak more nicely about others."

"And lie? Not my style."

Terrible, just terrible! Be nice, Fuyuhiko!

Monaca giggled. "You guys are funny. And not like how I pictured you."

Oh?

"I always assumed **Ultimates** were these elite people who didn't socialize at all."

"They're the symbols of hope." Nagito, who had been quiet up to this point, felt the need to speak up. "They are unapproachable to the common person. But you're all stars yourselves, right? If Hope's Peak Academy granted you titles, that means you're on your way to getting there." Smiling wider, Nagito spread his arms out. "This has totally been a grand night! For me to meet such little rising stars. I feel very lucky!"

Kotoko hid behind Naruto but still clung to his arm. "This guy is giving a dangerous vibe. Not adorable at all."

Naruto forced a chuckle. "Yeah, he can say some weird stuff sometimes. But don't worry, he's a nice guy. You just have to get to know him."

For the most part.

By this point, the line was winding down and only a few animals remained. This had been a total success for them.

"Ah, Naruto-chan!" It was here that Ibuki made her presence known again as she ran up to the group. "There you are! Why would you disappear on Ibuki like that!? It's not cool at all! And where is Hiyoko-chan!? It's almost time for us to start rocking out, you know!"

Oh, Hiyoko. She was….over there, still beating the life out of Masaru who was still trying to put up a fight. The kid was tenacious, if nothing else.

"T'ch, you're totally gonna kill people tonight," Fuyuhiko said under his breath. Listening to more of Ibuki's music was not something he was looking forward to, but he would power through it.

"Come oooonnn!" Ibuki started pulling Naruto away from the group, much to Kotoko's disappointment. "You too, Hiyoko-chan! We have to put on a good show!"

"Eh? Oh, right." Hiyoko's ire vanished, much to Masaru's relief who quickly ran over to Monaca and Nagisa. He was too young to die! "You got lucky this time. But I might not be so kind if we cross paths again."

"S-She's a demon!" Masaru hissed to the others, who all just shrugged.

"I think that was your fault," Jataro said. "You shouldn't have said your thoughts out loud…..ah, I just said that out loud! That's my bad."

"We need to work on your social skills, Jataro," Monaca said with a sweet smile.

"You don't have to worry about that, Monaca. I'm a lost cause. People are bound to hate me for it for the rest of my life."

Fuyuhiko looked put off by the exchange. 'What the hell is up with these kids?'

They looked normal, but some of the stuff they said….it was questionable to say the least.

But whatever, it was none of his problem. Their parents could handle it.

With that, Fuyuhiko made to follow after Naruto and Ibuki but stopped when he saw that there was a small tug-of-war going on for the blond, Kotoko pulling on one arm and Ibuki on the other.

"I really have to go." Naruto was trying to smooth the situation out. He didn't want to lose either of his arms here. "But we can talk later if you want."

That made Kotoko stop pulling. She let go of his arm and stepped back. "You promise?"

"Yeah, of course. There's a whole festival to enjoy!" Naruto grinned. "So have as much fun as you can."

Kotoko nodded her head shyly. "Okay….but you still haven't told me your name, or your talent."

"Hm?" Naruto was already walking with Ibuki but stopped. He glanced back at her. "Uzumaki Naruto. I'm the **Ultimate Ninja**. It was nice meeting you."

With those parting words, the blond walked off with Ibuki, Hiyoko, and Fuyuhiko following after him. Nagito gave the group of kids a final wave and smile before he followed as well.

"That was a lot more hectic than I would have liked," Nagisa said with a huge sigh. He was just glad the situation had been resolved.

"Don't be like that, Nagisa. And look." Monaca gestured to the line. "We're almost there. So cheer up, okay?"

The boy started to blush a little. "R-Right, of course. You're right, Monaca."

Kotoko would usually tease him at this point, but she was too busy staring at Naruto's treating form to notice.

"Hey, we can totally meet them again, right?"

Masaru spit on the ground. "Why would you? That blonde girl was scary."

"Yeah, but the blond guy was totally handsome! And cool!"

"I don't get you at all." Masaru placed both arms behind his head, his face uncaring. "That guy was nothing special."

"Of course, a perverted idiot like you could never understand." Kotoko stuck her tongue out at him. "You could learn a lot of things from him. At least, he's more manly than you."

"S-Say what!?" Masaru looked ready to rush at her. "That's not true! I have the total qualities of a badass superhero!"

"Stop this bickering, both of you." Nagisa was quick to step in. "We don't want to draw more attention to ourselves. Remember?"

Masaru turned away with a huff. "Tell her that."

Kotoko didn't care enough to respond. She simply stuck her tongue out at Masaru again.

"We're totally not in sync today, guys," Jataro said with a shake of his head. "I think it has something to do with being outside."

As usual, the others ignored him. Kotoko would have said something snide at his expense, but she was too busy thinking about Naruto for that.

And Monaca…..well, she was just Monaca. Smiling, and with a kind expression.

They were all the best of friends for sure.

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm late!"

When Naruto, Ibuki, and Hiyoko started to make their way up the stage to start prepping for their show, they were stopped by Mahiru who ran up to them. She wasn't alone as there was someone else following right behind her. It was another girl, this one with long dark green wavy hair and violet eyes. The two girls were wearing kimonos, Mahiru's a beautiful rose red kimono with a grand floral pattern while the other girl wore a rather simple lime green one. Mahiru also had a magenta flower hair pin that fit rather nicely.

"Mahiru, you're here!" Naruto's face brightened when he saw the redhead. Earlier, he had been worried about her absence. He was happy to see that he had just been paranoid.

"Big Sis!" Hiyoko was just as happy as Naruto to see the photographer. She ran back to where Mahiru was and quickly engulfed her in a hug. "Where were you? You almost missed our show!"

Mahiru hugged her back. "I'm sorry, I got held up with my friend here. We had to make sure her kimono fit her properly."

"Your friend?" It was here that Hiyoko took notice of the other girl standing next to Mahiru.

Naruto sweatdropped. 'She didn't notice her?'

Hiyoko could have such a one-track mind sometimes.

"U-Um, hello there." Mahiru's friend was obviously nervous from all the focus on her. "I-It's nice to meet you all….I'm Mahiru's friend. You can call me Sato."

'Is she…..?' Naruto's eyes narrowed a little. If this was the same friend that went to the Reserve Course, then he had just his lucky break.

Fuyuhiko didn't seem all that interested and simply shot her a quick nod before he went back to lounging at the bottom of the stairs.

Sato shied away from him, already knowing who he was. It was unfortunate that he had to be here, but Sato knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Fuyuhiko didn't take notice of this, though, and kept to himself.

Nagito on the other hand openly stared at Sato, his eyes boring right into her.

"That's strange," he said after a moment of silence. "I was sure I knew every **Ultimate** at Hope's Peak Academy. But I've never heard of you."

Then again, he hadn't heard about Naruto. Maybe this was just another case of that? If so, Nagito wanted to die from embarrassment. To not know of such talent…...he really was the worst, wasn't he?

"You wouldn't know about her, Komaeda." Mahiru shook her head. "Sato doesn't go the Main Course like us. She's a Reserve Course Student."

That little piece of information changed everything for the luckster. "Oh, I see."

Sato felt a very strong chill run up her spine when she saw the new look Nagito was giving her. His gaze was no longer warm or welcoming. It almost felt like he could lash out at her at any moment.

"Now, now. Let's not worry about pointless details like that." Nagito's cold gaze stopped when Naruto came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Any friends of Mahiru's is a friend of ours. Right, Nagito?"

"Uzumaki-kun." Nagito looked unsure. He struggled to say something before simply settling with a nod. He knew Naruto was too nice to turn away a talentless person. Even so, Nagito would make sure Naruto's light never got tarnished. That rang true for Mahiru as well. He was sure he could protect them both.

"Is the adoption over?" Mahiru took this opportunity to change the subject. She glanced up the stage where the last few people were looking at the few animals that remained. There were two dogs and a cat. "I wanted to get some pictures of it."

"I think it's a little bit too late for that," Naruto told her before turning his eyes to the very back of the stage where Ibuki was already prepping her guitar. "But I think you're just in time to watch us suck."

"Hey, that's not fair." Hiyoko almost threw herself at him. She pouted. "We're going to do just fine. After all, you have me. As long as I'm up there, there's no way we can fail."

Naruto and Mahiru both sweatdropped. Yeah, real motivation booster right there.

"Ahahaha, I don't think you should worry at all, Uzumaki-kun." Nagito smiled at him. "I'm sure things will turn out fine."

"Yeah, right. You've seen us performing together." Naruto's shoulders slumped. "We're going to suck bad."

"Ah jeez, where's your motivation?" Hiyoko glared at him. "You better not slow us down, you hear me?"

He probably was, though. But oh well. He had already a promise to the two girls. He wasn't going to back down now.

"Let's go. I'm sure Ibuki is waiting for us."

Sure enough, she was already gesturing to them to get on stage with her.

Hiyoko gave Mahiru one final hug before she ran up to Naruto and grabbed him by the arm. Once again, the blond was dragged toward the stage. He didn't fight it, though. Hiyoko and Ibuki were both really looking forward to this. He wasn't going to deny them the experience.

"I swear, they're always so excited about something." Mahiru sounded exasperated as she watched them go, but the smile on her face said otherwise. She was always happy to see them this way.

Sato saw this too. "So that was the Uzumaki Naruto you spoke of."

"Ah." Mahiru blushed a little before nodding. "Y-Yeah. He's the one who brought us together. He's kind of an idiot. No, scratch that. He's a total idiot. But still. He's not a bad guy." Mahiru started to smile again, and it held a warmth that made Sato freeze up. "He's a good leader, and I'm sure he'll be someone important in the future."

Sato felt her eyes widen. But it was only natural. This was the first time she was seeing Mahiru give such a big compliment to a boy. She was always hard on them, mostly because of her father. But for her to say something like that, and to sound so happy…..

'Mahiru, do you….?'

"I believe we should get a better position," Nagito said, snapping Sato out of her thoughts. "The show is about to start."

Mahiru nodded. "Right. I need to take pictures anyway. I need to make up for lost time."

This was an important night, after all. A night that they all needed to remember.

* * *

Peko looked up from the kakigori that she was enjoying when she heard Sonia's voice through the speakers again. It was her finishing statement for the night.

'I see. So the adoption process must be over.'

Peko had wanted to be there at first, until she realized that her presence might cause the animals to feel nervous. It was unfortunate, but most animals weren't like Kurama or Gundham's hamsters. Most were hesitant to be around her. That's when her young master had told her to go out and enjoy the festival and that he would follow her shortly after everything was wrapped up.

This left her with a bit of a conundrum, however. She had never actually _enjoyed_ a festival before. Sure, she had attended several in the past with her young master, but that had been as his bodyguard. Now, she was here tonight as just a simple girl. She didn't even have her sword on her. It was strange for sure, especially not being armed. It made Peko feel a bit naked, if you will. But Peko felt like she was slowly getting used to it.

'I should probably go and see the concert.'

She didn't particularly like Ibuki's music, but Peko knew just how much it would mean to the lively girl to just show up. That, and Peko was definitely amused by the concept of Naruto playing the drums. She just couldn't picture her blond friend as a musician. Not one bit. It was sure to be funny for her in one way or another.

Peko was about to head in that direction until she noticed a familiar face among the crowd.

"Mitarai."

The animator was carrying a bunch of different foods. Almost a small pile's worth. He was probably on an eating spree. It was definitely impressive, the amount that he ate. He could probably give Akane a run for her money.

Maybe.

Ryota turned to her, his cheeks stuffed. "Pekoyama-san."

That's what he wanted to say, but it came out as gibberish from all the food stuffed in his mouth.

Thankfully, Peko still managed to understand him. She couldn't help but smile.

"Enjoying yourself I see."

Ryota swallowed quickly. It was sort of amazing really, that he was able to swallow that much food all at once. Definitely like Akane.

"Yeah, you could say that. I got here late, but I'm touring all the food stalls before heading to Hanamura-san's. That will be my biggest challenge tonight."

Biggest challenge? He took his food serious alright.

"I see. Were you not going to see Naruto-san and the others perform?"

Ryota started to sweat nervously. "I don't think I could survive that. You've heard Mioda-san play, right?"

True, it wasn't something to take lightly.

"Besides, we're all meeting up for the fireworks later, right?" Ryota shrugged. "I'll be around for that. I just want to walk around for a bit, take in the sights. That's all."

More specifically, to be alone for a bit.

"Hmm, I see." Peko suspected that there was something else going on here, but she didn't push it. Ryota's business was his alone until he decided to share it. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us."

"Yeah. Thank you."

Peko gave him a quick nod before walking off. As she made her way to the center of the park, she had to wonder if Naruto would have pressured Ryota more, to try and see what the true problem was. To help him in some way.

She quickly pushed that thought away. She wasn't Naruto. She would leave those types of things to him. She would support him in other ways, as she would with the rest of her friends.

* * *

It was a strange feeling, to be in front of a huge crowd while performing on a such an odd instrument. Naruto had gotten more acquainted with the drums over the past several days, but he was no expert. Far from it. Ibuki said it was easy, but it really wasn't. Then again, he wasn't exactly a fast learner.

It was definitely embarrassing. Naruto knew he was doing a poor job. And yet, he couldn't help but smile as he tried his best to keep up with Ibuki's fast pace and Hiyoko's elaborate dancing. The two girls were doing their own thing. From the very beginning, neither had tried to change their style. Naruto was a total amateur when it came to this stuff, but even he was able to see that this mix was not blending well.

But it still worked? Naruto didn't know how to describe it. It was a total mess, but he still enjoyed it. Just seeing both Ibuki and Hiyoko smiling as they did their thing was enough for him.

Naruto didn't know how the audience was taking it. More people did arrive, and he could see several his other friends mixed in the crowd. Heck, even Nekomaru had shown up. He was carrying Akane on his back again. The gymnast was struggling, probably because she wanted to eat more before coming here.

Typical Akane.

He spotted the group of kids from earlier too. Looks like they stayed. And Ruruka and Izayoi and the other girl. Ruruka now had a dog with her. A puppy from the looks of it. It was a dachshund. So she had managed to adopt one after all.

Naruto was happy for her.

It was just as Ibuki had said earlier. Their melody was a total mess, but it still worked. At the very least, the crowd was loving it.

He was no drummer, but Naruto still felt like he rocked out that night.

* * *

"You looked like you were going to die out there. It was hilarious!"

"H'mph, your musical skills are very lacking indeed. You definitely are not an entertainer. Be glad that I even bothered to listen to your melody at all, you foolish mortal."

"Yeah, Uzumaki and music don't mix very well, huh?"

"You guys." Naruto was twitching as he was met with will all these _great_ comments from his so-called friends.

"Aww, don't beat yourself up over it." Kazuichi was loving every second of this as he patted the blond on the back. "I'm sure some girls totally dig the sucky drummer type."

Yeah, he was enjoying this a little bit _too_ much. But he couldn't help it! It was a nice change of pace for the mechanic to see Naruto not be so cool for once.

But he still enjoyed the performance regardless.

"It wasn't as bad as I expected." Fuyuhiko was just relieved that Ibuki hadn't killed them all. He had still winced at several parts, though.

"It was a total jam session!" Ibuki was still on a high after the performance. Everyone could see that, from the way she was bouncing and everything. "Ibuki will never forget this day! It's worth more than all the money in the world!"

"H-H'mph, I guess it wasn't so bad." Hiyoko's cheeks were red as she held her head high. "You didn't hold me back, so that was good."

"I caught a bunch of nice pictures." Mahiru was all smiles as she held her camera out. "You three looked great out there."

Sonia clapped with much enthusiasm. "Indeed, it was a performance of the ages!"

Now that was just an exaggeration right there. Naruto was still happy to get the praise.

Mikan tugged on his sleeve, her face gentle. "It was a good performance, Naruto-san. You really looked cool up there."

Naruto started to chuckle sheepishly, like a kid who had just been congratulated by his mother.

"You think so?"

"Cut it out, you're gonna give him a big head." Fuyuhiko smirked. "The idiot doesn't need anymore of that."

Way to kill the mood, baby gangster.

"Heh, well it was definitely something." Nekomaru crossed his arms as he grinned. "I've never been one for music, but you three were fantastic. It definitely raised my spirit! I feel like I can take anyone on right now!"

Now that was definitely a compliment of the ages.

Peko was in agreement. "Indeed. It is not something that can be so easily replicated."

Chiaki gave them a thumbs up. "Good job."

As simple as always.

Nagito kept his thoughts to himself, but he looked like he was in heaven right about now.

'Ah, I'm so lucky to be here.'

He had just witnessed something truly special.

"But the big stuff is over now, right?" Kazuichi looked a bit bummed out about that. He had a good time, showing the animals to other people with Sonia and Gundham. They had all been adopted, which just made it all the more satisfying. But now it was over, and that left him feeling a bit sad. "What do we do now?"

"Huh, what kind of question is that?" Naruto slung his arm around the mechanic. "We enjoy ourselves of course."

This festival was their creation. It was time for them to fully enjoy it.

"Food!" Akane perked up. "Hanamura has more food! We need to go to him!"

She started salivating at the thought of eating more of his dishes. She had been there all night, but she still needed more!

Fuyuhiko shook his head. "You seriously have a one track mind."

No one rejected the proposal, though. Because of his stall, Teruteru hadn't been able to see the performance just now and had missed the adoption as well. So seeing him wasn't a bad idea at all.

Naruto still had one concern, though. "Has anyone seen Ryota? Or has he texted any of you?"

He was the only one missing to Naruto's knowledge.

"I saw him earlier," Peko replied, remembering their encounter. "He said he wanted to be alone for a bit, but that he would join us for the fireworks."

"Oh my." Sonia looked worried. "Did something bad happen?"

"He did not say."

"That guy has always been a bit standoffish if you ask me," Kazuichi said. "More so than Kuzuryu at times."

Said yakuza didn't respond to this, mostly because he knew that Kazuichi wasn't entirely wrong.

"We should still get him." Mahiru wasn't too keen on leaving him behind. This night was all about them being together, after all.

It was a sentiment that Naruto shared. He quickly handed Kurama to Mikan, who accepted him into her arms.

"I'll go find him. You guys can go on ahead. I'll catch up soon."

Some wanted to argue, but they decided to trust Naruto and leave it to him. He was definitely the best one suited for this.

Mahiru turned to Sato with a smile. "We should get going."

Sato, who had been hanging back and just watching everything unfold, simply nodded. She was a bit overwhelmed with all these **Ultimates** around, but she would do her best to keep up. Besides, her curiosity had been piqued. This Uzumaki Naruto person…..just who was he?

'He's so close to Mahiru and everyone else…..'

A feeling of jealousy started to burn in Sato's heart.

"Hmm, looks like they're going." Ruruka and the others were still present as well. "And why did whiskers-kun run off? I was going to introduce him to my new puppy!"

"There's still the fireworks later, right?" Seiko suggested, her voice soft behind her mask. "Maybe we can meet them then?"

"That's not a bad idea at all." Ruruka thought about it some more before cheering. "Anyway, let's just go have some fun! This is a festival, after all!"

Izayoi made no comment, but he was on board with the idea. Soon, the trio started to head out as well.

This beautiful festival wasn't over yet.

* * *

 **So yeah, I had to split this up again.**

….. **I'm ashamed. But it's so easy to write these interactions that they just keep coming and coming! It is what it is at this point.**

 **Jabberwock Island, though. Apparently a lot of you want to see the group go there. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Fat Byakuya say that the island had been closed for many years in the beginning of the game? That's why the Future Foundation was able to use it as a base, because the Tragedy didn't hit it since it was closed. I don't mind changing this part of canon at all, but I'm not sure what way I should go about doing it. Like, make up new attractions or just go by the design that we got in the game? I'm open to suggestions.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. More fluff incoming next chapter.**

 **Till next time.**


	20. We Dream

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19:  
** **We Dream**

When Naruto found Ryota, the pudgy animator was in the midst of eating a whole set of _yakitori_ , which was basically various kinds of grilled chicken on sticks. He was carrying other stuff with him too, including a _Jaga Bata_ which was essentially a grilled potato with butter.

Yeah, Ryota could eat just about anything it seemed.

It was a nostalgic sight for Naruto. It reminded him of Choji, his other pudgy and food loving friend. Thinking back on that, Naruto had to wonder who would win a food eating contest: Choji or Ryota. The two were very closely matched in Naruto's eyes, but who was the stronger eater of the two?

'Nah, Akane would probably win.'

She would probably show up halfway and eat everything before anyone could stop her. Surely her appetite was the most ultimate of the ultimates.

The amusing recollection aside, Naruto approached Ryota who still hadn't noticed him.

"Yo, so this is where you were."

Ryota turned swiftly to him, his cheeks seeming to flap from the quick movement.

"U-Uzumaki-san!" That's what he said, but like with Peko earlier only gibberish came out thanks to his mouth being stuffed.

Naruto chuckled. "Having fun?"

Ryota quickly swallowed so that he could speak. It was another talent of his. "You could say that, y-yeah." He looked around. "Are the others nearby? What are you doing here?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Naruto gave the round boy a slap on the back. "I'm looking for you of course! Everyone's worried about you since you decided to go off on your own."

"Worried?" Ryota frowned. "There is no reason for them to worry. I just wanted to spend some time alone is all."

There was nothing weird about that, right?

That's what Ryota was hoping for anyway. Truth be told, he wanted to drown his "sorrow" so to speak with food. That's why he was eating so much. He wanted to forget about his earlier "confrontation," which dealt with stuff he'd rather not share with the others just yet.

Naruto had a feeling it was something like that. The troubled part that is. As quiet as Ryota could be, he was always more than ready to interact with the group when he could.

So this was definitely suspicious to the blond.

"I'll manage." Ryota finally relented and shared that much. He knew Naruto wasn't going to let up until he said _something_. "It's not really that big a deal. Maybe I was sulking, but that's only because I feel powerless."

The usual meekness in his voice, which could sometimes rival Mikan's, was gone. Ryota's voice was softer now, and underneath that was a strength that his usual voice lacked.

Naruto picked up on this but didn't comment on it.

"Powerless, huh? Well, I can relate to that. There have been times before where it felt like there was nothing I could. That no matter what action I took it wouldn't change a thing."

Everyone probably felt that way at one point or another. It was frustrating, but so was life in general.

Ryota looked away. Suddenly, he wasn't feeling very hungry.

The two started to walk together after that. Ryota didn't know why he was following the blond. He really did want to be alone right now, but…..he also wanted to vent.

"I really do envy you sometimes."

"Hm?" Naruto glanced at his companion. "That's weird. Why would you envy me?"

"Because you're able to help others in ways no normal person can." Ryota smiled bitterly at this. "Our class is a great example of that. It's only been two weeks, but you've already changed our lives. I can tell that many of them were lonely before coming to Hope's Peak." Perhaps all. "They all had talent, but they still lacked something more meaningful."

As did he. Or maybe he still lacked it? Ryota was still confused about that part, embarrassingly enough.

"I just wish I was able to do that as well."

To help the one person who knew the true him…...Ryota wanted that more than anything else. And yet, he couldn't even do that much.

He was pathetic.

Naruto faced forward. A group of kids ran by them, all of them laughing and seemingly without a care in the world. It was definitely a touching sight.

"There have been times when I was unable to do anything for my friends," he began, causing Ryota to look at him with surprise. "To be honest with you, that's how it was with my closest friend. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't save him or stop him from his obsession. It was scary, watching him change. It was as if he was a totally different person. It was also painful, knowing that I was in a position to help but not being able to do anything to stop him. I almost hated myself at one point."

Ryota masked his emotions as much as he could, but it was impossible to do so completely.

"I don't really know what you're mixed up in, or what your friend is going through. But I can tell you this much. Don't give up. If you do, then nothing will change."

Ryota averted his gaze. He felt defeated again.

"So you were able to figure out that much."

Damn him.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, yeah. You kinda let loose there for a second."

The whole "I want to help people like you do" was the biggest clue anyone could ask for.

Dammit. Ryota needed to watch what he said next time. He needed to remember that the blond next to him was perceptive at times like this.

Or maybe just be honest and straightforward?

'No. I'm still afraid….'

After distrusting people for so long…..opening up wouldn't come so easily for him.

Ryota then smiled. "I still thank you for those words. I can't say I have an answer, but 'not giving up' sounds doable enough."

"Heh, it's one of the few things that can't betray you in this world." Naruto grinned happily. "And I'm sure your friend appreciates it. You just have to be patient."

Patient, huh? Perhaps, but Ryota wouldn't just sit idly by either.

It was a baseless hope, perhaps, but it still strengthened Ryota and shifted his mood. More importantly, his appetite starter to come back.

"I guess we should get back to the others now?"

Naruto smiled at this.

"Of course."

Naruto was glad to have Ryota back on board with them.

* * *

By the time the two got back to where the others were, a different scene was already being played out.

"I can't keep feeding you! You've eaten too much already!"

Teruteru was looking alarmed as Akane devoured the latest dish that he had prepared for her.

The others stood around the stall, all looking sheepish or defeated by the sight. Or in Sato's case, almost ready to barf.

"H-How can she eat so much?" she asked weakly, holding her stomach to stop herself from hurling out her lunch.

Mahiru sweatdropped. "We don't question it by this point."

Gundham crossed his arms. "H'mph, her stomach truly does bear resemblance to that of an empty void, ready to swallow anything that dares come near it."

"She's just a beast, I tell you." Hiyoko was more amused as she snickered. "We should totally sell her to a zoo. I'm sure plenty of people would get a kick out of seeing her."

"Seriously, your comments are just…." Kazuichi looked disgruntled by Hiyoko's words. She could be really dark sometimes, and that still scared him from time to time.

"Eh, but this is a party!" Akane banged her hands on the table that was provided by the stall. "In a party, you eat as much as you can! Especially food like this!"

It was a compliment, but Teruteru couldn't be really happy with it. Not right now.

Naruto could only shake his head as he and Ryota neared them.

"You guys are already going all out, I see."

They all turned to the pair, and their faces lit up when they saw Ryota.

"Ah, Mitarai-san!" Sonia was the first to greet them. "I'm glad Naruto was able to find you!"

"W-Well, I wasn't _lost_ or anything….."

He wasn't a little child, okay!

"Still, we were worried about you." Mahiru smiled at him. "We're happy to see you back with us."

"Indeed." Nekomaru flexed his arms, which were visible for anyone to see since his kimono had no sleeves. "I was almost getting ready to drag you out here myself!"

That would have been scary.

"Who cares about that depressing crap!" Ibuki jumped in front of the group, still running on the high from her earlier performance. "It's just like Akane-chan said! This is a party, so let's go and rock out!"

"Rocking out is…." Mikan didn't know the exact word, but it would really be embarrassing for her! She was still holding on to Kurama, and the little fox looked very comfortable in her arms.

"Well, there are still some games I haven't tried around here." Chiaki scanned the nearby stalls. "Ah, and that old man still has my plushies."

Chiaki didn't want to have to hold them, so she told the man in charge of the stall to keep her stuffed animals until she went back to get them.

"Moving together would be quite difficult," Peko said. "Especially since everyone wants to do different things."

"Heh, there's no reason to stress over this." Fuyuhiko smirked. "Everyone can do whatever they want. We'll still be having fun together, right?"

What a softie.

"So you say, but I'm gonna be stuck here." Teruteru chuckled weakly from inside his stall. Sure he had a lot of fun serving people, but he wanted to enjoy the festival too! Especially since all the girls were in kimonos!

"With how Owari is eating up all your inventory, I don't think you'll have to worry about that for too much longer."

Fuyuhiko's comment only made Teruteru look down in slight gloom.

"It's like she can never stop eating….."

Had he finally met his match!?

"Hahaha, what's the matter, Hanamura-kun?" Nagito smiled. "I'm sure the Ultimate Chef won't be defeated by this challenge, correct?"

Nagito's words seemed to revitalize the cook as he threw both hands into the air.

"Argh, so be it! I'm going to cook until you drop dead! And your panties will be overflowing with so much excitement, they'll need a mop to clean it up!"

Now was that last part really necessary?

"Alright!" Akane didn't care either way. Hey, she was getting more delicious food. What was there to complain about? "Bring it on!"

"Well, looks like those two are preoccupied." Naruto was sure Akane wasn't going to be leaving Teruteru's stall anytime soon. "So what are we going to do first?"

The others looked at one another.

They had a whole night to enjoy, and a festival to do so.

The possibilities were endless.

* * *

"Holy shit, I've been meaning to ask you. But how many people did you hire for this?"

"Hire? What are you talking about? All these people paid to have their stalls set up here."

"What!? They _paid_!? So you're saying your clan is making a profit from this!?"

"Basically, yeah."

Kazuichi's mind was blown. "You yakuza don't do things halfheartedly I see."

Fuyuhiko smirked. "Just who do you think we are? If there's money to be gained, we'll jump on it."

"That's slightly terrifying, you know…..."

"Take it however you want."

Naruto listened to the two and their back-and-forth while also keeping his eyes opened for anything worth checking out. The three of them had ended up together, which had surprised Naruto and Fuyuhiko. They were sure that Kazuichi would have jumped at the chance to be with Sonia during the festival.

When confronted about it, Kazuichi had a simple response.

" _I sorta realized something earlier, when we were on the stage together. I think it's what Uzumaki was trying to tell me. Miss Sonia probably likes Tanaka more because he isn't pushing anything on her. If I keep pushing, I'll get nowhere. That's why I'm going to give her some space. Maybe that will help her be more comfortable around me."_

It was a very mature response, and for a moment Naruto was tempted to punch Kazuichi to see if he was real.

Whatever the case, it was a nice change of pace for them.

The others were all close by, also doing their own thing. As Mahiru had put it, this was a night for all of them to be together.

Kurama was once again on Naruto's head, and he seemed comfortable enough to take another nap. How he could sleep with all of this noise was beyond Naruto. But at least it was a good sign that he was getting used to the busy nature of urban life.

"Hey, you three. You feeling lucky tonight?"

The trio paused when they heard this. Usually, this would be a line used by a vendor trying to get their attention. Instead, they didn't find someone in a stall trying to sell them something. Rather, they were met with a guy either in his late teens or early twenties looking up at them from his little makeshift setup. Said setup included a small table where a crystal ball sat in the middle, and underneath the table was some kind of purple cloth. Maybe a carpet of sorts? To try and make everything look more neat?

It had the opposite effect on the three, though. They looked immediately put off by all of this.

"What the hell is this?" Kazuichi was the first to question it.

"Hehe, what do you think it is? It's your lucky day!"

It sure didn't _feel_ like it was.

Fuyuhiko was more than just wary about this, though. He was downright suspicious. "Do you have permission to set up shop here?"

He had gone through the list multiple times, and he didn't remember seeing anything like this on there. Then again, just what was _this_?

"A-Ah, but of course!" The way he said that only made Fuyuhiko more suspicious. "I wouldn't trespass or anything like that! I'm always welcomed at festivals like this! For you see, the one standing before you is none other than the great _Supernova_!"

The so-called Supernova had brown skin with a stubble on his chin and dark brown eyes. His dark brown hair was styled in dreadlocks. He wore some a Japanese male uniform jacket over his shoulders and black shaggy pants. Just as with his introduction, he didn't have a very striking appearance.

And as expected, he was met with silence from the three boys, who had no idea what he was talking about. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Fuyuhiko felt like he had heard that nickname before, but he couldn't quite remember.

Their lackluster response only made the so-called Supernova depressed.

"No, I get it. You don't understand my greatness. So many people would want their fortunes told by me, and yet you don't react at all."

Fortune?

"So that's what you do." Naruto finally got it. This guy was a fortune teller.

"Eh, seriously?" Kazuichi blinked, probably trying to process this. "Is that the crystal ball is all about?"

"T'ch, don't judge it! I've been trying to get a new one that's more presentable, but this does the job just fine!"

Wow. All of a sudden, this guy sounded….annoyed?

Weird.

"We're not really interested in fortunes, though." Naruto wasn't anyway.

Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko seemed to share his sentiment, as they were getting ready to walk away and look for something else to do.

"Aw, c'mon! You can't do that!" The guy pleaded. "What's the harm in getting your future told? I bet you're wondering what's waiting for you, right? Like if the girl you like likes you back! Or what job you're gonna get!"

"I'll do it!"

Only Kazuichi took the bait, jumping at the idea of finding out if he and Sonia were destined to tie the knot, so to speak.

Naruto felt like slapping him. "Don't buy into this crap, Kazuichi. These things are always a scam."

"Say what!?" The _Supernova_ took that personally. "I'll have you know that my fortune telling isn't a scam! Don't confuse it with that occult crap! This is the real deal!"

Naruto wasn't convinced in the slightest, though.

Noticing this, the _Supernova_ slapped his hand on the table. "Alright, if that's how you want to be! I'll give you a trial run, blondie! To show you that I'm the real deal!"

A trial run?

"Heh, he's probably just gonna make up some bull crap," Fuyuhiko snorted, also dismissing the so-called fortune teller.

Kazuichi just wanted a chance to see if his future lied with Miss Sonia. He might have matured a bit, but his love was the real deal dammit!

The _Supernova_ started to stroke his chin, his face appearing thoughtful. It was almost as if he was concentrating hard on something. Naruto didn't know, but it was probably something stupid anyway.

"I would normally use my tarot cards for this, but I'm already getting a strong feeling! It's like the gods are smiling down on you! Amazing."

What the hell?

'This is total bullshit….'

Whatever little interest Naruto may have had toward this, it was totally gone now. He was sure whatever this guy was going to tell him, it wasn't worth anything.

"Hmm. Hmmmmmm, I see. That's very interesting." The _Supernova_ smacked his hand on his open palm. "This is a first for me, getting a reading so easily. But it's unmistakable! It looks like your children will have three different mothers!….or was it five? The vision was too faint for me to see it too clearly, but I definitely saw at least three motherly figures! There you have it! That's your future, blondie!"

His "reading" was met with more silence from the trio. The three were staring at him like he was a buffoon until Kazuichi broke down into tears.

"I knew it! I knew this guy was an eroge character!" The mechanic turned on Naruto, grabbed the sleeves of his kimono, and started shaking him. "You're going to get a harem, aren't you, you blond bastard! You're going to leave the rest of us behind while you ascend into adulthood! I'm so jealous! How could this happen to you but not me!?"

"C-Calm down, Kazuichi! That was clearly a lie! That's never going to happen! Like seriously, what's a 'motherly' figure anyway? It's clearly nonsense!"

For real. There wasn't even one girl that was interested in him, let alone _five_. That future was bullshit!

"Nope, that's what I saw." The _Supernova_ was insistent, though. "My visions never lie!"

Oh, yeah?

"How often are you right?"

"Well, it depends. But on a good day, I can have a good accuracy rate of thirty percent."

Just thirty percent!?

"This is bullshit."

"I don't know about that." Naruto looked at Fuyuhiko who seemed to be unperturbed now. "The idiot is clearly a playboy. I can totally see that happening."

He knew about one case anyway….maybe two.

Naruto looked betrayed. "How can you say that? I haven't done a thing to anyone!"

Uzumaki Naruto was a nice guy! Honest! There was no way he could juggle multiple girls! He didn't even have one!

"Heh, seems like you have your own problems to deal with, blondie!" The _Supernova_ was definitely amused. "But I'm jealous of you! Getting five wives. What is this, you a Chinese emperor or something?"

Naruto wanted to smack this guy. "Shut up! This is all because of your bullshit reading!"

And what did he mean by _five_ wives!? How do you jump from three to five anyway? It made no sense!

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who's out there seeing girls and then getting them pregnant! It's your future!"

"You're not even right half the time! Like hell I'm listening to you!"

"You just keep insulting me, even though I was nice enough to give you a discount! How ungrateful!"

Ungrateful? _Ungrateful_!? The nerve of this guy!

"H'mph, whatever! It doesn't matter. Just give me my thousand yen, and we can move on!"

Wait, what?

"A thousand yen?" Naruto deadpanned. "Why the hell would I give you any money?"

And _that_ much?

"What do you mean!? It's for the trial run just now!"

Fuyuhiko felt like he was going to get a headache just from listening to this.

"Fucking dumbass, do you even know how a trial run works?"

"Of course I do! But like, how else am I supposed to get any money?"

This guy…..Naruto was right. He was a total waste of time.

"I suddenly don't feel like getting my fortune," Kazuichi muttered. Not just because of how pathetic this guy sounded, but because there was no way he had a thousand yen to spare on something like this. He wasn't rich.

The _Supernova_ grumbled. "You guys are haters! And after I was so nice too…."

Naruto gained a tic mark. "You forced a reading on me, gave me some nonsense about having five wives or whatever, and then try to charge me for it!? How the hell is that nice!?"

Did words have different meanings now?

"W-Whatever! Just get out of here! You're going to make me lose business."

But there was no one else in line?

The trio were happy to leave, though, especially Naruto who was now grumbling under his breath.

"What the hell? That was so stupid."

Fuyuhiko looked away with a grin. "Yeah, but it didn't sound so farfetched to me."

"Not you too! Cut the crap, will you?"

"I'm just saying-"

"Say nothing!"

Fuyuhiko was definitely going to milk this later.

Kazuichi also grumbled, but for a total different reason. "I'll be keeping my eye on you, Uzumaki. Mark my words. You won't be doing _that_ while I'm around. I won't let you hog all the fun to yourself."

Naruto sweatdropped, ready to burst in tears at his misfortune.

"Seriously, I don't get this at all."

Why did this stuff always happen to him?

* * *

Sato had to stop herself from gawking like a fish out of water, but it wasn't very easy for her.

"H-How did she-?"

She pointed a shaky finger at Chiaki, who had more than thirty plushies stacked up around her. It was like a fort or something.

"Hmm, I think I might have gotten a bit too excited," Chiaki murmured. She didn't exactly look troubled or anything, though. It was more like….carrying all of this was going to be a huge hassle for her.

Mahiru was quick to snap a picture while also laughing.

"Ahahaha, I think you've played enough games for tonight, Nanami-san. Anymore and you might end up buried under your new collection!"

"Sounds good to me." Hiyoko giggled. "I kinda want to see that!"

Sato was slowly learning that Hiyoko could be very…..sadistic. But more than that, why didn't either of them look surprise by what Chiaki had just done? Was this normal or something?

"Oh, you totally hit the mark on Ibuki's heart, Chiaki-chan!" The musician was next to Chiaki and the game the gamer girl had nearly just cleared out. The poor man behind the counter looked exhausted from simply having watched Chiaki make easy pickings of his game. He didn't have many prizes left either. It was a sad day for him.

"I-I think you should be more careful." Next to Ibuki was Mikan who was trying her best to make sure that Ibuki didn't try anything crazy. "They're not real bullets, b-but getting hit would still hurt."

"You worry too much, Mikan-chan." Ibuki was more carefree, as usual. "Besides, we can't let Chiaki-chan get the upper hand on us! We have to show her that we're tough too!"

Tough….in what way?

"I really don't get this." Sato felt exhausted just watching everything play out. "Is this common around here, Mahiru?"

"Hm? Yeah, I guess." Mahiru had to think about it for a moment. "You get used to it after a while. It sort of becomes like everyday life."

Sato couldn't picture that at all.

'Do you have to be really intense to be an **Ultimate**?'

Sato's only experience with an **Ultimate** was Mahiru, who was more or less normal. But everyone else was just…..

'No, I can't say Mahiru is totally normal either.'

Her friend was handling all of this like it was nothing. That wasn't something a normal person could do. It was the difference between those who were blessed with talent and those not so lucky. That's how Sato saw it anyway.

But this didn't make her angry or anything. It was the total opposite. It made her realize how amazing Mahiru was. Sato was simply lucky to be acquainted with her. Regardless, she would cherish this. A chance to get to know more of Mahiru and her world…..it was like a gift from above.

There was only one problem, and it came in the form of a blond with whiskers.

"Come quick, everyone!" Sonia suddenly came running up to them, her face flushed with excitement. "Naruto and Nidai-san are about to have a duel!"

"A duel?" Chiaki tilted her head. "What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means!?" Ibuki was already jumping in excitement, forgetting completely about the game next to her. "We get to see them duke it out till one drops dead!"

"D-Dead!?" Mikan nearly shrieked. She was the first one to take off running down where Sonia was pointing. "I-I can't let that happen! I'm his nurse!"

"Sheesh, making such a big fuss." Hiyoko huffed. "I'm sure it's just something stupid."

She was curious, though.

"Probably." Mahiru was thinking the same thing, but she still smiled. "Let's go. We need to make sure those idiots don't die."

Hiyoko snickered. "True. Big Bro would be lost without us."

"I think you're misunderstanding something," Chiaki said as she joined them, while Ibuki skipped along.

"A-Ah, wait!" Sato looked at all the stuffed animals that Chiaki had left behind. Were they just going to leave them here? What if someone took them? Hadn't Chiaki worked hard for them?

"Don't worry about it, miss." The man behind the counter shook his head. "I'll make sure the little lady gets them. She's a real airhead, I tell you."

He wasn't wrong.

Sato sent him a weak thanks before running after the others.

'It's just like I thought.'

Sato found the whole class forming a makeshift circle around a boulder. The boulder was already part of the park from the looks of things. A bunch of other people were also present, probably curious about the coming showdown.

It took some effort, but Sato was finally able to shove her way through the crowd to where Mahiru was. The redhead was smiling as she took several pictures of the two boys who stood on either side of the boulder.

'Mahiru….'

More jealousy gripped Sato as she looked to Naruto who was grinning up at Nekomaru. The team manager was doing the same. The two of them were obviously excited about what they were about to do.

"Let's do this." Naruto placed his hand on the boulder, with Nekomaru following suit.

A look of understanding flashed on Sato's face. "Arm wrestling?"

"H'mph, looks like the two behemoths mean to battle it out tonight." Gundham cackled, his red eye glowing in the night. "How marvelous! We are in for a rare treat!"

"Man, you're giving compliments now?" Kazuichi almost shuddered. "Feels weird."

"He is not wrong, though." Peko had a more calculative look on her. "I believe we are about to see something rare."

"What are you talking about? It's just an arm wrestling contest. What's the big deal?" Kazuichi didn't see the hype at all.

Nagito smiled. "Hmm, you'll understand soon."

Sato started to get interested as well. She didn't see what would be so interesting about this, but the others were expecting something different. Would she be blown away?

Blown away she was as the air picked up around the two boys the moment their little contest began. They gripped each other's hand as they tried to overpower the other.

Nekomaru's electric aura around his eyes started to spark more strongly than normal, a clear sign of the incredible force he was exerting right now.

'W-What is this?' Sato had to shield her eyes from all the wind, her long hair blowing rapidly behind her.

"I'm cheering for you, Uzumaki-kun!" Teruteru shouted as loudly as he could through the wind. "There's a special ramen bowl for you if you do!"

"Ah!" Next to him, Akane growled. "You said you didn't have any food left!"

"T-That's because I need to save some for the others! You can't eat it all!"

"Stingy!"

"How are you still so hungry!?"

Their bickering went ignored by the others who were cheering Naruto and Nekomaru on.

"Heh, you truly do hide a formidable spirit in that body of yours!" Nekomaru proclaimed, his eyes dancing in excitement.

"If that's your way of saying I'm stronger than I look, then thanks!"

But Nekomaru already knew this. The two had been training together long enough for him to figure that out. That's why he was so intent on winning this. It might be unbecoming of a team manager to want to win against their athletes, but it was also the duty of a team manager to push their athletes to their limits!

As the two put more strength into their holds, the boulder underneath them started to crack from all the force.

"Holy shit." Kazuichi gulped. "They're totally crazy!"

"Yay, you can do it, Big Bro!" Hiyoko was more than happy to cheer for Naruto. He was her clear favorite in this. "Beat that nasty gorilla!"

Chiaki's eyes were full of sparkles. "They're like video game characters!"

It was the sure way to fire her up!

"B-Be careful, Naruto-san!" Mikan did her best to shout, but sadly it wasn't strong enough to be heard through the cheering crowd.

At least Kurama was able to hear her, the little fox licking her cheek in support.

The crowd continued to energize the small contest, and it almost seemed like it could go on forever.

However, it ended just as quickly as it'd started. With Naruto letting out one final shout in self-encouragement before slamming Nekomaru's hand on the boulder, permanently cracking it.

Naruto was the winner.

'I-Incredible.' Sato was more than blown away by this. She would have totally put her money on Nekomaru. The guy was simply huge, and his whole body screamed "POWER."

And yet…..

"Huh, so it came down like I thought." Akane didn't seem surprised at all. "But that's obvious. Uzumaki's fists always hurt more when he punches me."

"W-What?" Sato nearly gasped. "He hits you?"

"Yeah? That's how we train."

Sato had no idea what to say to that.

The others were already gathering closer around Naruto and Nekomaru, still excited about the display.

"You two are dumbasses, ya know that?" Despite his words, Fuyuhiko was grinning. "Doing something like that out of nowhere…."

"Seriously." Mahiru gave them a small glare. She had enjoyed their match, but she couldn't let them know that. "We can't have you guys destroying the whole festival!"

Naruto chuckled. "Calm down, Mahiru. We just made a little wager is all."

"Indeed." Nekomaru crossed his arms. "The loser has to buy the winner a drink. There was no way I could back down from such a challenge!"

 _That_ was their reason?

Mahiru sighed in defeat. "You two are unbelievable. You know that?"

Sonia clapped. "But it was still amazing! I cannot believe you're so powerful."

"Hehehe, it was nothing." Naruto and Nekomaru bumped fists with one another. "But we are totally cool, aren't we?"

"Pfft, don't let it get to your head." Hiyoko hid her lower face behind the sleeve of her kimono. "You're more like gorillas than anything else."

One happened to be a very _cute_ gorilla to her, but Hiyoko wasn't going to bring that up.

Naruto patted her on the head. "We love you too, Hiyoko."

"D-Don't say that, you idiot!"

They all had to laugh at the dancer's flustered look, save for Sato who was still trying to wrap her head around what she had just seen.

"Hmm, it's almost time for the fireworks." Nekomaru turned his gaze up to the sky. "I believe it would be better if I start getting ready for that."

"I'll help." Kazuichi grinned as he stepped up. "I made sure to add some special surprises."

Ryota feigned a look of worry. "You're not going to blow us all up, are you?"

"Shut it! I know what I'm doing."

Ryota merely chuckled in response. It was always easy to get a rise out of the mechanic.

"I'll be setting up the food at our reserved spot then." Teruteru laughed softly. "I'll make sure it's very _intimate_."

"The way you say that m-makes me worry," Mikan muttered, blushing ever so slightly.

It was just Teruteru's usual personality, though. Might as well get comfortable with it.

"I suppose that means the rest of us should enjoy our time until then." Peko glanced to Fuyuhiko. "This is perfect. There is actually something I want to try."

"W-What?" Fuyuhiko suddenly felt embarrassed. "What are you talking about?"

"Follow me."

"R-Right."

The others all watched them leave, their reactions ranging from surprise to confusion. Or in Naruto's case, glee.

"Uh, what just happened?"

Ibuki asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"They're having fun, that's all." Naruto shrugged. "So come on. Like Peko-chan said, let's enjoy every moment we have left."

His words managed to get the others back to normal, and they all agreed.

More fun it is.

* * *

"Come on, open wide. I can't feed it to you otherwise."

"S-Shut up! Let me mentally prepare myself first, alright?"

It was a very lighthearted but also hilarious sight for anyone around. A blushing Fuyuhiko was currently trying his best not to pass out from embarrassment while a smiling Peko attempted to feed him some _tsukune_ , or grilled meatballs on a stick.

They totally looked like a couple. A cute couple to be precise.

"I-I'm very surprised." Mikan twiddled with her fingers as she watched the pair interact. "I didn't think they were this close."

Next to her, Naruto chuckled. His eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Really? They always looked like a couple to me. Only one too embarrassed to _really_ show it in public."

For some reason, Naruto's words made her suspicious. Like there was something else going on here that she wasn't aware of. But then again, it wasn't like people were likely to include her in their lives, right?

That depressing thought aside, she still cast Fuyuhiko and Peko with a somewhat envious stare. Could she have something similar like that one day? Did she even deserve it?

Her mind still told her no, but her heart was beginning to say something different to her.

What a confusing mess.

Peko and Fuyuhiko weren't the only ones enjoying themselves. Naruto saw Sonia showing off some masks to Gundham. In particular, she was holding a mask of a blonde girl with a crown?

Weird.

Chiaki was busy with another game while Ibuki cheered her on while also holding on to her prizes. Ryota stood near them, holding one of the stuffed animals. Must be a gift from Chiaki.

How nice.

Akane wasn't anywhere to be seen. Hopefully she wasn't up to anything stupid.

Mahiru and Hiyoko were visiting different stalls with Sato in tow, and it looked like a fun little group. Sato could see that Mahiru and Hiyoko were very close, and it made her happy.

'You definitely found a place for you.'

Best of all, Naruto wasn't around. It was a fun time. But Sato's growing enjoyment was suddenly flushed down the metaphorical drain when Nagito approached her out of the blue.

"Sorry to bother you, Sato-san. There was just something I wanted to discuss with you, and it can't wait."

There was? What could this guy possibly have to say to her?

"You're good friends with Koizumi-san, aren't you?"

The way he said that….it was almost like he was disgusted by the mere meaning of that sentence. That's what it felt like to Sato anyway.

"We've been in the photography club together for a while now." Thankfully, Sato was able to mask her insecurities and not stutter. She was facing an **Ultimate** , after all. "She's the hope of our club."

"Yes, I totally understand that." Nagito glanced over to Mahiru, who was kneeling with Hiyoko as they gushed over the goldfish that could be won by a simple scooping game.

"She's a very talented person. You could almost say that she's like our second leader after Uzumaki-kun. She's got that sort of bright personality, and the will to make others follow her."

That was very high praise, but Sato was happy with it. She knew Mahiru deserved it and more.

"That's why I can't understand it." When Nagito turned back to her, Sato froze where she stood. The boy's eyes were cold again. His gaze made her feel like she was nothing more than an insignificant ant that could be crushed at any moment.

"Why are you with her? Someone without talent like you has no place being close to her."

"W-What?" Sato mustered the strength to say that much, but nothing more.

"But I suppose it's the way of the world." Nagito ignored her in favoring of sighing. He looked down in disappointment. "Those with talent are always sought after. It's expected that someone as worthless as you would cling to her. Do you hope to make yourself feel more important that way? Or is it that you think some of her talent will rub off on you?"

"T-That's not it at all!" Sato didn't know how, but she was speaking back. But really, she just wanted to get away from this person as soon as possible. "Mahiru is important to me! I-I truly love her. She's way above someone like me. I-I was only able to stay close to her by joining the Reserve Department. That's why-"

"If you understand that much, then why do you stay?" Nagito crossed his arms, his face conveying his disgust. "Your friendship will only be a bother to her. She can still continue to shine much brighter, don't you see? But with someone like you around, trying to only bring her down. Simply put, I can't stand by that."

Not that Nagito would force anything on the girl. He was simply trying to _dissuade_ her from continuing with her foolishness. Her mere presence was enough to dim Mahiru's light, however small. It was something Nagito couldn't stand for.

As for Sato, she was unable to respond. She was too shaken up. She never thought she would be confronted like this. However, in the back of her heart, she knew she was agreeing with Nagito. Being here, surrounded by **Ultimates**. It just wasn't her place. She was trying to enter a domain that was forbidden to her.

Leaving was for the best…..right?

"Komaeda, what's going on?"

Sato was able to snap out of her thoughts just as Mahiru and Hiyoko joined them.

Hiyoko shot Nagito a dirty look. "Are you trying to hit on Sato? Is that it? I always knew you were secretly a pervert."

Nagito's mood shifted, and he seemed more relaxed now. No, he was _happy_? To Sato, the change in mood was so drastic she almost did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Ahahaha, that's a bit harsh, Saionji-san. Am I that suspicious looking to you?"

"H'mph, of course. I bet you can't control yourself when you're alone, right? I bet even Big Bro is like that too. But I guess it can't be helped. Not with when you have us around."

Mahiru sighed. "Your banter isn't really appropriate, you two."

Especially since they weren't alone.

"N-No, it's fine." Somehow, Sato found it in her to speak again. "Komaeda-san and I were just having a small chat is all. G-Getting to know each other and whatnot."

Sato almost felt like she was going to get a heart attack when Mahiru cast a suspicious glance her way. The redhead clearly didn't believe her, but thankfully it didn't look like she was going to press the issue.

"I suppose that's fine. It'd be nice if you got along with everyone. I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting to know you."

Nagito chuckled. "True. Especially Uzumaki-kun. He's always welcoming of others."

How could he say that after his harsh words to her? Sato couldn't understand it.

" _Too_ welcoming, if you ask me." Hiyoko looked annoyed. "Idiot. He probably doesn't realize all the flags he's raising…"

Flags?

Nagito was troubled. "I don't understand?"

Huffing, Hiyoko looked away. "Don't worry about it."

Oh. Nagito felt like he was being excluded from something here. But what could it be? And what did flags have to do with it?

So confusing. For as smart as Nagito could be, he also had his dense moments.

Funny.

Mahiru had to sigh again, pushing back her embarrassment.

"You don't have to say that either, Saionji. E-Especially not right now."

Her voice crack made Sato more jealous, but she made sure to not show it.

Oh yeah, she definitely wasn't a fan of this Naruto guy.

But funnily enough, her jealousy made her forget Nagito's warning, if only for the moment. Her desire to be close to Mahiru overrode the "common sense" that a normal person like her could never have a relationship of any kind with an **Ultimate**.

Emotions were powerful like that, be it in a positive or negative sense. And in these circumstances, it was definitely of the negative kind.

* * *

The night passed way too quickly for everyone's liking. They wished it could last forever, but it couldn't be. That said, they still had something very nice to look forward to.

The festival was winding down, but the sixteen **Ultimates** came together for one final event. It was the fireworks, which was meant to officially conclude the festival. They had set it up on a small hill right in the middle of the park, where Teruteru had also done his setup for them, putting out plates and drinks.

It wasn't just their class either. Izayoi, Seiko, and Ruruka joined them, as did the kids from earlier who managed to find Naruto again.

"He's so adorbs!" Kotoko was hugging Kurama with all her might, feeling his soft fur on her skin. "I can't believe you have a pet fox! He's the cutest animal around!"

Gundham felt insulted by her words, but his pride got the better of him so he didn't say anything. He couldn't just come out and say that his Four Dark Devas of Destruction were cuter, even though that's what he secretly thought in his mind.

Ruruka didn't have that self control, though. "No way! My Shira is much cuter!"

Shira. So that's the name she was giving her new puppy. Not bad.

"We have so many animals around." Sonia mentally counted all the pets they had. "It's such a joyous occasion!"

"T'ch, you say that about everything," Fuyuhiko said with a shake of his head.

Sonia didn't mind this at all. "It's because I'm having so much fun! That can't be wrong, can it?"

"Don't worry, Sonia. Kuzuryu is just trying to play it cool." Mahiru shot the yakuza a small teasing grin. "We all know he loves these sorts of things the most, right?"

There was laughter from the others, which only grew when Fuyuhiko's face turned beet red.

"S-Shut up! You don't have to say that every time it comes up!"

"I totally do."

"Why you..."

The laughter from the others only made Fuyuhiko more embarrassed, which stopped him from giving out his usual threats.

Annoying, all of them.

Sato's eyes were wide in disbelief at this. Mahiru could joke around with Fuyuhiko like this? Unbelievable. This was really something else for her, given the history Mahiru had with the Kuzuryu family. More specifically, Fuyuhiko's sister.

Teruteru soon joined them with his huge, borderline gigantic pot in tow.

"Good news, everyone! My dish is ready to be consumed! I'm sure your bodies will be writhing in ecstasy soon~"

It was too bad Naruto didn't have anything to throw at the cook.

"Control yourself. We have kids here."

Teruteru paused before noticing said kids. "Oh my. I didn't think we were going to be having more company tonight."

"It's not a problem, is it?" The last thing Nagisa wanted was to be a bother to these people. The main reason they were here was because Kotoko insisted on hanging around.

Teruteru flashed him a grin. "No problem at all. I'm always happy to feed more hungry mouths. The more the merrier, as they say!"

Monaca smiled. "We thank you."

Teruteru was happy to accept her gratitude, especially since she was cute.

Soon after, the **Ultimate Cook** was filling their plates with his food. For tonight, he went with a rather simple meal. It was curry, but the smell was enough to make everyone's mouth water.

"I've already eaten so much, but I'm hungry again!" Akane exclaimed, her face flushed with pure happiness. Getting to eat such amazing food whenever she wanted…..it was pure heaven. If she could share this experience with her siblings one day, then Akane would be truly happy.

Hiyoko looked at the dish in front of her with both hunger and some amount of disdain.

"I get the feeling I'm going to get fat if I keep eating big bro Hanamura's food."

It was a sentiment shared by some of the other girls.

Teruteru chuckled in response. "Don't say that, cher. My cooking is good for the soul and that tight body of yours."

Hiyoko nearly blanched. "Disgusting pervert."

"Ohohohoho. You flatter me."

There was no shaming this guy, was there?

When the cook reached Naruto, the blond smiled.

"No fancy name for this dish of yours?"

Teruteru understood what he was trying to say, and he smiled back.

"I don't really feel like doing that anymore. What's important is the dish itself, right? Especially at this moment, when it's with you guys. It's more special than any fancy name I could come up with."

Is that so?

"I'll make sure to savor every taste then."

"Mhmm, that's what I want to say to you one day too~"

Okay, what?

Disturbing comments aside, Naruto was more than happy to accept Teruteru's feelings that were present in his food. It would be more delicious than the fanciest of ingredients could provide.

As Teruteru finished giving out everyone's servings, Kazuichi and Nekomaru were finishing the last of their preparations at the top of the small hill.

"You can join the others if you want," Nekomaru told him. "I can handle this."

"Nah, I don't mind. Besides, I kind of want to take in this moment for as long as I can."

"Oh?" Nekomaru was somewhat surprised. "You don't want to be next to Sonia?"

Kazuichi scratched his cheek, somewhat embarrassed. "I've found something more important to treasure tonight." Such as his time with everyone, not just Sonia. "Besides, I can sweep her off her feet anytime I want! I don't mind letting Tanaka enjoy himself tonight."

Nekomaru let out his boisterous laugh. "Ahahahahaha! Truly, your tender spirit has touched me!"

"T'ch, don't say it like that! That's just embarrassing!"

And weird.

Nekomaru didn't mind, though. He was just being honest with his feelings, like always.

But there was one last thing that needed to take place before the fireworks could commence.

Naruto and Gundham got up and took their place in front of everyone by the bottom of the hill, where they could be seen.

"Oh, what's this?" Hiyoko looked amused. "Are you guys going to perform something for us?"

Because that would be totally hilarious and awesome!

Naruto grinned a little. "Nothing like that. We just wanted to thank you all for doing this. Right, Gundham?"

The **Ultimate Breeder** had to hide his face behind his scarf so that no one could see his growing blush.

"Indeed. I begrudgingly admit I could not have pulled off something like this on my own. You performed your tasks well, and as such I was able to find the proper humans needed to take care of so many powerful familiars. For that, I owe you so much."

"This guy talks weird." Masaru was promptly shushed by both Kotoko and Monaca, much to his embarrassment.

"Well, it's not like we minded," Chiaki said and tilted her head. "It was a lot of fun for us too."

"Ibuki was able to perform with her new friends." Ibuki stuck her tongue out playfully. "There's no reason for you to feel like you owe us, Gundham-chan."

"H'mph, I guess that's true. It was sort of fun," Hiyoko added with her cheeks red.

"Indeed." Peko's smile was soft. "We were able to receive many happy memories from this experience. So we should thank you as well."

"See that?" Naruto threw his arm around Gundham's shoulder while grinning widely. "It wasn't a chore for anyone here. We all had a great time. We were more than happy to be here."

Gundham didn't respond. He simply looked away, but everyone could see that he was very content with their answers.

"Heh, there's no reason to talk about boring stuff like that, right?" Akane smirked. "Let's finish this with a bang!"

"Indeed!" Nekomaru looked at Kazuichi. "You ready?"

The mechanic gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah, let's blow them away!"

The fireworks soon went off. They lit up the night sky for everyone to see, including those in other parts of the park. But it wasn't normal fireworks. These exploded into brighter colors, and some were even able to create the number 77, a clear calling card for them.

To Sonia, this was an experience that couldn't be described with words.

"Incredible."

The others were in agreement. Seeing their faces filled with wonder and amazement, Kazuichi was able to feel happiness in his own heart. It might not be as fancy as some other firework shows since he had been pressed for time, but he didn't care. He was more than content with this.

It was enough to make Nagito tear up. "I can definitely see it."

Ryota turned to him with a small smile. "See what?"

"Hope taking form."

"Right. I'm sure."

Ryota didn't question him this time, probably because he felt the same way as Nagito. At this very moment, it definitely felt like hope was surrounding them all.

No one was happier than Naruto, who stood back and watched all his friends enjoy this moment to the fullest. That included Ruruka as well. He still couldn't explain their relationship very well, or if they were even friends really. But he was still happy to have her here. The whole experience was only more special to him when he noticed that the kids were taking everything in with joy, with Kurama relaxing in Kotoko's arms.

The blond was so caught up in this that he didn't notice Mikan standing next to him, or how she took his hand with hers.

Mikan probably didn't notice her own movements either, just simply going with the flow.

The fireworks continued to explode, officially bringing the festival and this night to a close.

But this was still only the beginning for them. Much more was to come, but they could all rest easy knowing they had each other. They could face anything as long as they were together.

They could dream comfortably as the future drew nearer and nearer.

* * *

 **So we finally reached over 400 favorites. Big moment, especially since that's like four times the amount I thought this story was going to get. Thank you for that.**

 **This took longer to come out than I was expecting, mostly because I caught a cold right before I finished editing. It zapped me of energy to finish it, and then I got caught up in other stuff. But it's here now! And with it, the conclusion of this "arc."**

 **I do apologize if some stuff seems rushed. That damn cold really messed me up.**

 **I'll be spicing things up for the next arc, though. So look forward to that.**

 **Much thanks for reading.**

 **Till next time.**


	21. Classroom Shenanigans

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20:  
** **Classroom Shenanigans**

"You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"

"Yes."

It was a simple question, with a simple answer. Even so, Naruto was already on guard. Why? It was his instincts flaring up. No other way to describe it. And he always made sure to trust his instincts.

The man in front of him either didn't notice or care for this as he sat opposite of him, a small clear table between them. The rest of the room was empty, other than a camera set up by the wall near the door.

The man readjusted his glasses as he scanned through the file before him, flipping through some of the pages. What it was, Naruto didn't know. But maybe it was about him? It would make sense, since this meeting was supposed to be about him.

"Talent is quite extraordinary, don't you agree?"

"I suppose so."

There was nothing else Naruto could say to that.

The man smiled. Only, it didn't put Naruto at ease. It only made him more wary of this person. Almost like there was something sinister hiding behind that smile.

"I've been studying talented individuals for nearly all my life. That's how I was assigned to be one of the lead scientists here at Hope's Peak Academy. Quite an honor, wouldn't you agree? It has been a rigorous process, with many ups and downs. If there is one thing I've learned in all these years, it's that talent is a fickle thing."

Fickle? That was a weird word to use.

"For a scientist, such a term is rarely used. In fact, it's almost hated in our field. We try to understand things, after all. To analyze and understand every aspect of the world around us so that we're never caught off guard. Never surprised. To say _we know_. But with talent…...it's just not so simple."

Naruto didn't know where the man was going with this.

"Talent doesn't have a set path, Uzumaki-san. It's even more mysterious than genes could ever hope to be. Talent doesn't discriminate. It can come from any place, from any person. The rich, the poor. From all the different races in this world. It doesn't matter who you are. You could almost say it's like the lottery, only one that doesn't require money."

Naruto might not have fully understood that before, but now he was able to follow along.

"I'm sure you have observed this with your class. They are rather diverse, are they not? But they, as well as yourself, are all linked by one thing: talent. You all possess it. Gifted by skills others can only dream of. It's rather beautiful when you think about it, but also scary. To know that someone else possesses something you don't. Something you can never attain no matter how hard you work. It's almost enough to bring you to despair, isn't it?"

Naruto said nothing to this.

The man continued.

"My job here at Hope's Peak Academy has been to try and understand talent. To try and break it down, to harness its potential. Just like we have with the atom. Only it's been far more difficult to accomplish. As I've said, talent is a fickle thing. With this fickle nature comes elusiveness. Its roots still evade us. Is it genes? Some evolutionary path that we just haven't figured out yet? Or is it simply random, unable to be properly articulated by our measures? Or perhaps it's a combination of factors. As a scientist, this is both frustrating and enticing at the same time. Can you understand that?"

"Not really, no. I don't really care about talent all that much."

The man let out a short laugh. "Mhmm, yes. I'm sure you've never had to think about it. Most **Ultimates** are like that I believe. They never bother to think about where their talent comes from. They're just content to have it."

Naruto openly frowned, showing his annoyance.

Seeing this, the man raised his hand to placate the situation. "My apologies. I didn't mean to disrespect you. I am simply sharing my observations with you."

"Then you need to observe more. I can tell you from experience that talent doesn't equal personal satisfaction. Human beings aren't that simple."

"Hmm, perhaps. But we are not here to get philosophical. The point is, my goal here at Hope's Peak Academy is to unpack talent and all of its mysteries. It's not complete, I'm sad to say. We still can't fully understand talent, merely guess at its nature. But there is one factor that we have been able to pin down, and perhaps even exploit in order to help us in our understanding."

"Is that why I'm here?"

"Yes." The man looked down at the file. "From what you've told the headmaster, you come from a remote village, correct?"

Naruto's hands twitched a little. What did his village have to do with this?

"Yes."

"Tell me something, Uzumaki-san. Are your villagers like you?"

Like him?

"What do you mean?"

"My apologies. I suppose I need to be more blunt. What I mean is, do they share the same…...physical and biological makeup as you?"

That didn't really explain much in Naruto's mind, but he still attempted to answer the question nonetheless.

"We're not part of the same family, if that's what you're getting at. We have different clans, and even people with a more 'normal' background. We don't have the same fancy stuff as you, but we do act like a normal city would."

Only a lot smaller.

"And what about you? Do you have any direct family?"

What an annoying question.

"No. My parents are dead. They have been dead for seventeen years now."

"So I'm guessing no one in your village would share the same traits as you?"

Traits?

"If you're talking about looks, then there are other blonds around. I think."

Tsunade came to mind. Then Ino and her dad. And, uh. Crap, who else was there?

Ah, right. Temari! She wasn't a part of the village, though.

But either way, that's all Naruto could think of.

The man seemed amused. "That isn't what I meant, but I think I have a clearer picture now. You don't belong to any of those clans you mentioned, so you don't share any similarities with them."

Maybe? Naruto still didn't really understand what this guy was getting at. What traits was he speaking of? Was there something weird with him?

"Interesting. Very interesting. So even if we were to go to your village, we wouldn't find someone like you."

What?

Naruto cocked his head.

"You wouldn't?"

"Hmm. I see. That is very useful to know. But I think that's enough for today." The man closed the file and got up from his seat. "Thank you for answering my questions. I hope you don't mind if we continue this at a later date. I look forward to learning more about you, Uzumaki-san."

What?

"Hey, what is this about?" Naruto got up as well. "Why are you so curious about where I come from? Did the old man put you up to this?"

The man was already heading for the door, but stopped. He turned back to the blond, his glasses blocking his eyes from view. Add his lab coat, and he gave a very strong "doctor" type. Naruto didn't like that, but that was mostly due to his childish fear of hospitals and anything related to it. Mikan's "desire" to give him shots didn't help either.

"Tengan-san has nothing to do with this," the man replied smoothly. "If anything, you can say he's against it. But you must understand something. We are on the brink of something great, Uzumaki-san. I believe you can be the key to pushing Hope's Peak Academy's ambition to even greater lengths. To a realm we never could have thought possible. I hope you can come to understand this."

Naruto was left frowning as the man excused himself and exited the room. It went without saying that he had a lot of questions, none of which the man had bothered to answer.

Just what was going on? And why did the school need him?

'I don't get this at all.'

What a confusing mess this was.

* * *

Two weeks.

That's how much time had passed since the festival. It was now a month since school had started. It also marked the first month of Naruto's new life in this world.

What could he say? He was used to many things now. He still hated his phone. Damn thing was harder to figure out than any new jutsu Naruto had learned. He pretty much gave up on it, only able to use it for calls and texts. Oh, but he had managed to get one gaming app on it.

That's what it was called, right? A gaming app?

Eh, who cares.

Naruto knew a lot more about this world now too. More of its history, and just how big it was. It was a lot bigger than what he was used to back in his dimension. Japan was but one single island in this vast world. Naruto hoped to see it all one day.

His friendship with the others continued to grow as well. They attended classes together and hung out as usual. Naruto could truly call them all his close friends. Ruruka was sort of in that mix too, although her constant insistence to make him try out her sweets was kind of annoying.

Good thing he was faster than her.

Koichi was still a terrible teacher. He never bothered to teach them anything. He was always hungover. It got to the point where Mahiru openly proclaimed her growing distaste for the man, calling him a useless deadbeat.

No one bothered to correct her.

That said, they still made sure to show up to class, if only to see one another. It was the one place where they could all come together on a regular basis. That, and the ramen shop where Naruto worked. Speaking of which, it was doing a lot better now. More people found out about the **Ultimates** hanging there and were eager to see them in person, which meant more money for the shop.

Jiro was more than pleased with this, almost to the point of crying and hugging Naruto as a show of thanks for the new business.

Kurama was also growing. According to Gundham, he still had a bit more to go. By the time he reached his adult size, he wouldn't be able to fit into Naruto's bag anymore. A sad thought, but there was still time left before that happened.

Other than that, nothing else had really changed. And nothing overly "exciting" had happened.

Unless he included his phone call with Tengan a week ago, but that wasn't really "exciting" as it was annoying.

Naruto still remembered it. He had gotten home from another day at work when his cell phone had gone off.

* * *

" _Glad to see you're still alive."_

 _Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"_

 _Tengan chuckled from his end. "Oh, no particular reason. I was just expecting you to have done something more daring by now. Instead, you put on a nice little festival with your friends. Are you growing attached to them?"_

 _This old fart. So he heard about the festival, huh. Not surprising at all. Still, Naruto was a bit annoyed._

" _I don't like the way you said that."_

" _Am I mistaken then? I believe it was you who was trying not to bond with them. I'm guessing that's changed now?"_

 _Naruto almost scowled. "How do you know that?"_

 _He hadn't told the old man anything about that!_

" _Ahahaha, it was all over your face, boy. It's like I told you before. You're not a good liar. Your face gives it all away."_

 _Maybe, but Naruto didn't have to like that._

" _I can't say I'm not pleased, though." Tengan continued, "You're the first to do something like this. I'm sure you're making those kids happy."_

 _Naruto didn't have a snarky response to that. At least, not a good one. He could only admit to one thing._

" _You're weird, old man."_

" _Ahahaha, true. I probably am. But aren't you as well?"_

 _Naruto sighed. "Whatever. So what? Is this all part of trying to know more about me?"_

" _Perhaps. I'm just happy to know you'll be staying. That house of mine needed at least one person to look after it."_

" _What about you? You're not coming back tonight again?"_

" _I'm afraid not. I'm out of town, you see. Came to see a certain project for myself."_

 _A certain project?_

" _Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll hear about it sooner or later."_

 _What's with all the secrets!? It was frustrating._

' _Well, I can't really argue too much against that.'_

 _He was keeping secrets too, after all._

" _I'll probably be back next month or so. In the meantime, take good care of yourself, my boy. And make sure not to trust those around you too easily."_

 _What the hell did that even mean?_

 _Before Naruto could question it, Tengan hung up, effectively ending the conversation._

 _The blond glared at his phone, wishing he could throw it out the window or something. Sadly, he needed it too much for that._

 _Still, that didn't mean he couldn't grumble about stupid old men._

 _Stupid old man._

* * *

That had been that. Naruto hadn't spoken to Tengan since then, and the old man hadn't returned just as he said. Who knew what he was doing out there. And what sort of project was he seeing?

There were just so many questions. Hopefully he got some answers soon.

Anyway, today was just another regular day for the blond in this new life of his. Other than the weird meeting he was called into, he was going to attend class just like any other day.

Only he had fallen asleep in the nurse's office earlier in the morning. The meeting had been scheduled really early, before class. After he was dismissed, Naruto came to the nurse's office to see if he could nap until classes official started. He wasn't lazy or anything. But some shuteye never hurt anyone.

Thankfully, Mikan allowed him to. She was nice like that.

Naruto would have to treat her to some ramen later as a thank you.

But that's where he currently was. Fast asleep on one of the beds in the nurse's office. They weren't as comfortable as the bed in his house, but it did the trick.

Kurama occupied one of the other beds for himself. He was stingy like that. But that's also why Naruto felt confused when he started to wake up. He was a bit groggy from the nap, but he was still able to sense his surroundings well enough. That's why he was confused. If Kurama was sleeping on one of the other beds, then why did his arm feel so heavy?

'Heavy…..and soft?'

Wait, what?

Rapidly coming to his full senses, Naruto realized that he wasn't alone on the bed. Unlike when he had fallen asleep, there was someone lying right next to him. It didn't take Naruto long to figure out who it was.

'Mikan!?'

Sure enough, it was the **Ultimate Nurse**. She was so close in fact that he could feel her breath on his neck, which made him shiver a bit. Not just that, but she was the reason for his right arm feeling so heavy. She was holding on to it, damn near clinging to it like she would a stuffed animal. And worse still she had it placed right between her cleavage. Her _big_ cleavage.

Naruto gulped.

'T-They're big…..'

That was an understatement.

If he had to take a guess, Mikan's chest was only second to Akane's in terms of size. That bit of information did nothing to help him calm down, though.

'Why is Mikan in bed with me!?'

He was sure he was alone when he fell asleep. So how the hell did _this_ happen!? Did she suddenly decide to get in bed with him!? But why!? It didn't make any sense!

But he had bigger problems to worry about here.

'Uh, what to do? What to do?'

How was he supposed to escape this situation? Sure it felt nice, but he didn't want the girl freaking out when she inevitably woke up.

"Mhmm, don't move….."

Just as Naruto was about to try and free his trapped arm, Mikan's voice made him freeze up.

'That…..didn't sound like Mikan.'

There was no hint of her usual meek self in that voice. It was….more sultry in nature. But there was no way that could be Mikan. It just wasn't the sweet and innocent girl he had come to know.

Right?

"Hehehe, that feels nice."

Shit, maybe he was wrong.

Worse, she started to bring his body closer to hers, if that was even possible. It was almost to the point where she was right on top of him.

'What the hell do I do!?'

This only made him panic more. He wasn't equipped to deal with this type of situation. Fight a war? Yeah, no problem! He could do that with his eyes closed. Have a beautiful girl sleeping on him?

Full on panic mode.

In this state, Naruto never noticed the other horrible twist until it was too late.

The door to the nurse's office opened, and in came Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi. The two boys stepped in at the same time, both doing a quick scan of the room.

"Oi, Uzumaki. Are you in he-"

The words died in Fuyuhiko's throat when he noticed Naruto's and Mikan's comprising position. It was honestly the most shocked he had ever looked. At least, in Naruto's opinion.

Kazuichi shared the same reaction as his yakuza friend, but only for a moment. He then raged.

"What the hell!?" He pointed at Naruto and the still sleeping Mikan. "What's going on here!? Are you trying to get a head start on that prophecy of yours!?"

Prophecy? What prophecy!?

Oh, wait. That's right. What that sorry excuse of a fortune teller had said. Kazuichi hadn't forgotten about that, but why the hell did he have to bring that up now!? This was literally the worst situation in which to do so.

"S-Shut up! That's not what's happening here-!"

With all the shouting, it wasn't a surprise to see Mikan's eyes start to open. There was no way she could stay asleep with this commotion.

"Hm…..? W-What's going on?"

No one answered her. Naruto was far too embarrassed, Fuyuhiko was still too shocked for words, and Kazuichi was too busy glaring at Naruto to acknowledge her question.

The poor girl was left to take in the situation by herself, and when she did her face turned redder than a chilly pepper. Probably not the best analogy to use, but it was going to have to do!

"W-W-W-W-What-!"

"M-Mikan, calm down! It's not what it looks like!"

Unfortunately, Mikan wasn't able to heed Naruto's words. She tried to get off him, but as she was already right on top of him she only ended up straddling him as she tried to get off the bed.

"Bastard!" This only sent Kazuichi into a bigger rage. "You think I'm going to let this happen!? I made a promise of my own! And I intend to keep it!"

"But that's totally not what's happening right now! I only wanted to take a nap!"

"Yeah, with Tsumiki!"

"That's not it, and you know it!"

"You son of a bitch!" Fuyuhiko was finally able to speak again. His cheeks were still red, though. "You two are only high schoolers! Are you seriously that irresponsible!? Do you want to throw away your futures or what!?"

Wow. That was the last thing Naruto was expecting a yakuza heir to say.

"I-I'm soooooooorrrrrryyyyy!" Mikan cried out, looking teary-eyed.

Mikan's apology only made Naruto look even more guilty. So really, there was no use explaining anything by this point. There was only embarrassment on his end.

Kurama slept soundly through the commotion, however, enjoying his nap to the fullest. Even when Kazuichi tried to strangle Naruto, he still slept. The bed was really comfortable to him.

At least someone was able to rest soundly here today.

* * *

P.E. was one of Naruto's favorite classes. It was basically all about moving around and exercising, which was really the best things he was at. Not just that, but he could also use this time to further advance his training while also giving a certain someone some pointers.

"I got you now!"

Speaking of which, here she came.

Naruto smirked as he leaned back to avoid Akane's high kick. Thankfully she wasn't wearing her skirt right now, but her bloomers. So he didn't have to be distracted by her accidental flashing.

Even though he had evaded her kick, this was still only the beginning. Before, Akane would have followed up her kick with a punch since it was the easy thing to do. But now, she had more control. Instead of bringing her leg back down and backing off, she was able to follow it up with a second immediate kick. It was just as powerful as her first, perhaps stronger since she had gravity on her side.

This time, Naruto caught it with his hand rather than dodging it. The air picked up around the two from the contact, but those watching the spar were used to it.

"I still can't believe she thinks can beat Big Bro," Hiyoko snickered from the sidelines. It was very amusing for her to see Akane lose every time she challenged Naruto to a spar.

"You should have more faith in her!" Nekomaru didn't sense the humor behind Hiyoko's voice and took her comment at face value. Poor guy was always doing that. "She's gotten much better, you know."

Hiyoko couldn't see it, but Peko did. The proof was clear when Naruto pushed Akane back to put some distance between them. The way the blond was holding his hand, she knew catching Akane's kick had hurt. But in that position, he had been too slow to try and evade it.

'Nidai was definitely on the mark. Owari is…..'

She was growing into a formidable beast, far stronger than when she had first set foot at this school.

"Not yet!" Akane quickly continued with another set of attacks. She tried to elbow the blond, but Naruto ducked down to avoid the strike. When that failed, she brought her leg back around for another kick. In Naruto's position, he was forced to catch it again. But this time, he made sure to hold on to it tightly before he spun around, bringing Akane with him for the ride.

"But it seems she is still far too reckless," Nagito noted with a small smile. "She can't get her emotions under control."

Peko had to agree with that, a fact that could cost Akane the match.

As Naruto released his hold on her leg, Akane was sent flying across the sky before hitting the ground hard, doing several rolls before she was able to get back on her feet.

"Oh my~" Teruteru whistled. "So rough~ Uzumaki-kun can get rather brutal with her."

"I'm not sure if you're trying to be perverted or what," Kazuichi scowled at the cook. "And that worries me."

Teruteru just chuckled.

Ryota pointed to the obvious. "It's the only way she can listen. I don't think Owari-san would be satisfied otherwise."

Hiyoko had to snicker again. "Totally a brain dead gorilla."

"Always with the snide comments," Kazuichi muttered. She was never this mean to Naruto these days! It was always aimed at them. It was so unfair.

Mahiru was quiet as she snapped several pictures of the spar. It was a difficult task for her since Naruto and Akane moved really fast, so capturing a good picture was always a challenge. Mahiru enjoyed it, though, which is why she was always going at it.

Back in the middle of the "ring," Akane was too busy glaring at Naruto to pay attention to the others.

'Bastard is always so fast!'

Akane could definitely feel that she was stronger, but it also felt like Naruto had gotten better too. It was like she was playing catch up here.

The gymnast couldn't let that slide.

Her appearance turned even more feral than before as she charged at Naruto again.

The Uzumaki felt his eyes widen just a tad. Why? Because Akane's speed had increased just again.

'Was she holding back?'

No, that wasn't it. This was just Akane running on her adrenaline.

Heh, so be it then.

Naruto parried Akane's incoming fist with his own, which only created another powerful gust of wind in the aftermath. Neither were affected by this, though, and Akane came in with her second fist soon after. Naruto quite literally slapped it aside before coming in with his knee. Akane blocked his attack with her own knee, stalemating him again.

But Naruto wasn't done as he grabbed a hold of her wrist with the hand he had parried her first attack with. Akane was caught off guard here, and she wasn't prepared when Naruto threw her over his shoulder and down to the ground.

It wasn't long before Naruto had his knee pressing down on Akane's cheek and keeping her in place.

He grinned down at her.

"Surrender?"

Akane gritted her teeth. For a moment it looked as though she was going to fight back before she relented.

"Fine. You win, you stupid blond."

"So not nice. You could try to be more sweet with your words." He still let her go and helped her up while the others cheered.

"Hyah, he nearly murdered her!" Ibuki shrieked. "How does she keep keep coming back for more!?"

That wasn't very nice, Ibuki. But she wasn't entirely wrong either. It's why Naruto liked Akane so much, though. She was driven, and she could put in the effort when she tried. It reminded him of himself.

"That was amazing, you two!" Sonia was more positive about the whole thing. She was her usual excited self as she clapped for her friends. "That final move, it was Judo correct?"

At least, it looked like a Judo throwing technique.

"I think so, yeah?" Naruto shrugged. "I haven't really bothered to check."

Nekomaru let out a small grunt. "I've been telling you to understand the different martial arts, but you're still so ignorant."

"T-That's a bit harsh, Nekomaru…"

"But it's the truth." Fuyuhiko smirked. "You're only good with violence, aren't you?"

"I-I'll try to learn, okay!" Naruto looked offended by their teasing, which only made his friends all the more amused. It wasn't his fault that hand-to-hand was so divided here. There were many kinds of martial arts, and trying to remember all the names was a pain.

Akane was the only one not smiling. She growled as she poked Naruto on the chest.

"Don't get so high and mighty. Next time I'll win for sure!"

Hiyoko shook her head. "You've been saying that for a while now. I'm not getting my hopes up anymore."

Harsh.

Akane didn't care, though. This was her personal goal, and she didn't care what others thought of it. She would defeat Naruto and Nekomaru at least once before they graduated from Hope's Peak Academy. She had already promised herself that much.

"I still managed to capture a good shot, though!" Mahiru was more excited about that. "I'll make sure to publish it in the school paper."

Oh, yeah. There was that as well. Mahiru had decided to start a school paper. It was basically the newspaper club, which she was the only official member of. Hiyoko and Naruto made sure to help out whenever they could, but the redhead was fine doing all the work by herself. She was very dedicated like that.

"Alright, everyone!" Their teacher blew her whistle to get their attention. "As fun as that was, it's time to wrap things up!"

There was some groaning from Naruto and Akane who wanted to stay out longer.

Chiaki was the most excited one now.

"It's time!"

The others knew what she was talking about right away.

"U-Um, Nanami-san, we still have lunch, you know?" Teruteru spoke more delicate than usual, probably because he didn't want to let the girl down too much.

That didn't slow down Chiaki's excitement. Not one bit.

"It's okay! We can totally play while we eat!"

Fuyuhiko groaned. "She's not going to listen at all, is she?"

Gundham crossed his arms. "H'mph, truly, there is no escaping her clutches."

"There's no need to worry, guys!" Chiaki waved her arms excitedly. "I brought a bunch of new games with me! We'll totally be able to play together!"

That wasn't the issue here, but no one argued against it. They were happy to partake in Chiaki's games with her. That's why it was part of their usual routines in the afternoons. They always played video games together. It was just another way to bond, and since it always made Chiaki happy no one really had a problem with it.

"I guess you'll have to go on without me. I have to put the finishing touches on my perfect creation." Teruteru threw them a wink. "Try not to miss me too much. Especially you, Uzumaki-kun."

Why was he being singled out here?

"Let me come with you, big bro Hanamura!" Hiyoko raised her hand, looking enthusiastic about something. "I want to help too!"

"Hmm? Sure, I don't mind."

Spending some alone time with a cute girl? Teruteru was always up for that!

Now, this might have been weird a few weeks back, but Hiyoko had taken a liking to cooking recently. Or well, to try and learn how to cook. She still wasn't all that good at it, but the others made sure to eat what she made. They couldn't stand to see her cry if they denied her.

The sixteen **Ultimates** started to head back inside to change, with Mikan giving Kurama back to Naruto as she praised him on his sparring match with Akane. Or she would have if Kazuichi didn't instantly break the two apart.

"Hold it! It's not gonna happen while I'm around! You hear me!? Never gonna happen!"

Unable to resist, Naruto smacked the mechanic in the back of the head.

"Shut up about that! It was only a misunderstanding!"

Kazuichi wheezed in pain, but he was still determined. "D-Don't believe you-!"

Not letting him finish, Naruto pushed him down and proceeded to step on him to emphasize his point.

Idiot.

Mikan just blushed, unable to look Naruto in the eyes now. Being reminded of that incident...the most embarrassing thing about it all was that some part of her had enjoyed it!

"Oh my, what's this?" Ibuki looked at them, the curiosity clear in her eyes. "Did something interesting happen while Ibuki wasn't around?"

No!

"It's nothing." Naruto tried to sound convincing and schooled his features, but it was hard to do when Ibuki stared intently at him. It only got harder when Mikan started to blush more.

"Hmm…..this seems suspicious," Ibuki muttered, looking between Naruto and Mikan before looking down at Kazuichi who Naruto was still stepping on.

"Ibuki declares that something is amiss here!"

She knew what "amiss" meant!?

Wait, no. That wasn't the problem here.

Not knowing what to say, Naruto simply dragged Kazuichi with him back to the locker room, hauling him by the neck. The poor mechanic couldn't fight back by this point. He was more like a sack of potatoes now.

Ibuki watched him go, her eyes still filled with suspicion.

"Very suspicious, Naruto-chan."

Very suspicious indeed.

"What about you, Mikan-chan!?" The poor nurse squeaked when Ibuki turned to her. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"U-Um….." Mikan fiddled with her fingers, looking unsure. "I-I don't know what you're talking about…?."

That could work, right?

"Jeez, you're too innocent." Ibuki sighed and shook her head. "It's a good thing too. We can't change the character dynamics this late into the game! Or maybe it's still considered early? We don't know how long this is going to go for, after all!"

Character dynamics? Now Mikan _really_ didn't know what Ibuki was talking about.

"Oh well, Ibuki will think on this later. But she's sure it's nothing to worry about. Probably."

With that, Ibuki skipped her way back to the locker room with the others, leaving Mikan more confused than before.

Why did Ibuki have to sound so weird sometimes?

* * *

"Is this what they call a girl's night out!?"

"I-It's not nighttime, though…..and what part of a girl's night out includes blowing stuff up?"

Sonia didn't mind the correction from Mahiru as they, along with Chiaki and Mikan, were playing a game together. Naruto had no idea what it was, just that you used bombs to clear the objective.

Or something like that.

"You kids are so disrespectful." Koichi was in the back of the classroom, lounging on one of the desks. He was sober for once. Even at this hour he was usually clinging to life from his horrible hangover. This was a nice exception.

"You know we're supposed to be doing normal school stuff, right? But you always play games…."

Fuyuhiko glared back at him. "Would you even teach us anything?"

"Probably not. But it's a principle thing!"

"H'mph, what a worthless teacher you are," Gundham said, his eyes closed.

Koichi would have cried if he cared more. "You ever going to let me play with you guys?"

Naruto shrugged. "Ask Chiaki. It's her games."

She would probably say no. Mostly because Koichi reeked of alcohol and she didn't want her games to stink. That's what she said before anyway.

Knowing this, Koichi's shoulders sagged in disappointment.

"Treating your teacher so horribly. You kids need to respect your elders more. Didn't your parents teach you that?"

"We do respect you." Naruto threw him a smirk. "We're not kicking you out, right?"

Koichi glared at him. "So funny, Uzumaki. It feels like my insides are going to melt from laughing so much."

"Isn't that just from all the alcohol that you drink?"

"Cheeky brat."

"Drunk geezer."

"Hey! I'm not that old yet!" Koichi had to put his foot down on that one!

Fuyuhiko sweatdropped. "That's what you care about?"

Whatever. There was no point worrying about it.

As Mikan started to panic about creating total chaos within the game since she was setting off too many bombs, Peko approached Naruto who was watching the four girls play with the others.

"I presume you are ready for today?"

Ready?

"I'm excited!"

Peko had to chuckle at Naruto's childlike enthusiasm. "I hope you can back that up. Remember what happened last time?"

Naruto looked away, blushing a little. "T-That was different! I still wasn't used to my new kunai. But it's totally different now."

He might have accidentally almost stabbed himself after not holding them properly. It was definitely something he wanted to forget.

"Besides, I'm bringing my entire outfit this time. I'm pretty sure it won't be easy for you."

He wanted to get used to fighting with his gear. He had some practice, but Naruto felt like he could still get better.

"I see. Just remember that your trench coat might be bulletproof, but it's not immune to my sword."

Peko's eyes had a sadistic and dangerous glint to them when she said this. But that was obvious. Naruto was the only person who could give her a challenge. She had long since surpassed all of her other mentors. That's why she enjoyed her spars with the blond so much.

Fuyuhiko could only shake his head at this. They were totally going to try and kill each other later.

Even Ryota seemed to agree. "So dangerous."

"T'ch, just don't ruin the gym. Again." Koichi threw a halfhearted warning their way, not really caring either way. The school was sure to get it fixed. For like the sixth time.

 **Ultimates** were destructive like that.

But it would be nice if they could avoid that this time.

Akane suddenly perked up, her nose twitching.

"This smell…."

It was very familiar to her by now. There's no way she could mistake it.

As if to confirm what her nose was telling her, the door to the classroom was sprung open and in came Teruteru and Hiyoko with his signature pot in tow as well as several other smaller containers.

"We've got the food ready, y'all!"

"I made sure to help too!" Hiyoko was very happy to announce that again.

"Wow." Naruto's nose was practically bombarded with the great smell coming from the pot. "This smells different. Did you cook something new today?"

"Why, of course I did." Teruteru cupped his chin while giving a suave grin. "This is a grand Imperial Feast! It's a lot more complex than my usual dishes. I totally made sure to go all out today!"

"Hell yeah!" Akane was more than happy to cheer for this. She almost tackled the pot too, if not for Nekomaru holding her back.

Mahiru raised an eyebrow. "I'm not really complaining, but what brought this on?"

Usually, Teruteru cooked simple dishes for them. Which wasn't bad. All his dishes were delicious, when he wasn't messing around. But this totally sounded special.

"Isn't it obvious? It's to celebrate our one month anniversary!"

Kazuichi deadpanned. "That makes it sound like you're in a relationship."

It did, but no one really cared to correct it.

"Hanamura-san is correct." Sonia smiled softly. "This week marks a month since we came together, does it not?"

Chiaki hummed. "I hadn't really thought about it." She then smiled as well. "It has been a month."

A month since she had met all her friends. Just thinking about it was enough to fill Chiaki's heart with joy.

"A month, huh." Ryota looked down. "It really doesn't feel like it."

It felt a lot longer if he was being honest.

"H'mph, such is the passage of time," Gundham said. "It escapes your notice when you're having the most fun."

Nagito smiled. "I agree. It has been an amazing month. Your talents have all grown more brightly! I can't help but look forward to seeing how you continue to grow, with Uzumaki-kun leading you to the future."

Before, the others would have looked put off by Nagito's words. But they accepted them now.

"That's Komaeda talk for a future together." Fuyuhiko smirked. "I can get behind that."

Peko nodded. "I agree."

Naruto chuckled. "So sentimental, mister Yakuza."

"Shut up. I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking!"

Still sentimental. But Naruto didn't mind it.

"There's no use talking about it anymore!" Ibuki jumped in the middle of the group before pointing to the pot. "We gotta celebrate! Let's eat till we can't stand anymore!"

Didn't she say something like that before?

"HELL YES!"

Either way, Akane was more than ready to give it her all.

Time to enjoy!

* * *

Just as they always did, the sixteen **Ultimates** came together in a group circle. But it wasn't just them this time. Koichi joined their little huddle, with a plate of his own.

"You're including me? I'm so happy!"

Mahiru huffed. "I can totally take that away from you if you'd like."

"You're always so mean, Mahiru-chan. Learn to lighten up a little."

The redhead could only glare at the so-called teacher for still addressing her like that. But really, at this point there was no changing it. Annoyingly enough.

They said their thank you's before digging in, their faces lighting up in delight with every bite. It was as delicious as ever. And of course, Akane had to get a bigger portion than everyone else. That included Ryota too.

"Ah, that reminds me. It's not just the Imperial Feast that I have for you guys!" Teruteru said while digging through his special case, which he also brought with him today. It contained some of his most valuable creations. "It's a special soup that I made with our upperclassman, the **Ultimate Pharmacist**!"

The **Ultimate Pharmacist**?

Naruto tilted his head. "Who's that?"

"Eh? What do you mean, Uzumaki-kun? It was only because of you that I was able to meet her!"

Seriously?

Nagito looked amused. "It's Ando-san's friend, Uzumaki-kun. The one with the mask."

Oh.

"Her." Naruto hummed in thought. "I haven't really talked to her all that much honestly."

Whenever Ruruka came to "hang out," she was always quiet and in the background. She was sort of like how Mikan had been when he first met her.

"S-She seems nice," Mikan muttered, trying to be as friendly as she could.

Naruto only chuckled while patting the nurse on the head. "If you say so."

Mikan beamed at the gesture. It still felt nice to have Naruto pat her on the head, even now. But there was a different emotion in the mix today, one that she only ever felt when she was alone at night thinking back on moments like this.

Lust.

'E-Eh?'

Mikan started to panic, her mind going into overdrive.

Wait a minute-!

Ibuki eyed Teruteru's soup. "It looks kind of sketchy honestly."

She had come to know that Teruteru could make some weird stuff sometimes. Just for his own amusement.

"W-What?" The cook looked horrified. "I haven't done anything to it! I swear! This is a special day, after all!"

"That only makes Ibuki more suspicious!"

That didn't make any sense!

"I think the food is fine as is," Mahiru said while taking another bite from her plate. But as she did, she felt her vision start to get blurry.

What the hell?

"I suppose I wouldn't mind trying out the soup," Koichi said, not seeing any harm. The main meal itself was bloody delicious, so he was sure the soup would be the same way.

"At least someone here understands-"

Teruteru stopped mid-sentence when he noticed something odd with his case. Or rather, the contents within.

One of his other soups was missing. The bottle he kept it in, all of it was gone!

"What the-? One of my soups is gone!"

It wasn't just any normal soup either. If this got out-!

"Ah!"

There was a sudden gasp, and when Teruteru turned back to the group he was met with Akane collapsing to the floor. She wasn't the only one either. One by one all of the **Ultimates** started to succumb to some weird symptoms, and that included Teruteru.

"W-What?" Naruto found his breathing getting heavy, and his vision started to get hazy. Sweat rolled down from his brow, and he started losing his strength. He was just barely able to keep himself in his sitting position. It was like someone was sucking the energy out of his body.

"S-Shit." Koichi fell to the realm of the unconscious first, his system overblown from whatever was affecting them all.

Chiaki could do nothing but rest back on the wall of the classroom, her face burning as well as the rest of her body.

'W-What is this?'

It was the first time she was experiencing something like this, and the **Ultimate Gamer** didn't know how to react.

The only one left standing was Hiyoko, who looked at the group with glee.

"Hehehehe, looks like it worked."

"Y-You-!" Teruteru would have glared at her, but he was too busy trying to keep his composure. "W-What did you do!?"

"Are you talking about this?"

Teruteru's eyes widened when he saw the blonde holding an empty bottle. He recognized it right away.

"That's my Sexy Sexy Soup that's full of aphrodisiacs! I-It was meant for Uzumaki-kun! How did you-!?"

What the hell!?

If Naruto had any strength in his body, he would be hitting Teruteru after that confession.

Hiyoko snickered. "I saw it when we were preparing your Imperial Feast. I mixed it in when you weren't looking!"

"O-Out of all the options you could have chosen-!"

Teruteru wasn't able to say anything more as his lower body was bombarded with a wave of sexual desire that quite literally drove him to the floor.

Hiyoko loved every second of it. "Looks like it's hitting you hard, huh, big bro Hanamura?"

None of the others were faring any better.

"M-My love drive!" Ibuki was spinning in circles before she fell to her knees, her cheeks flushed and as sweaty as everyone else. "Ibuki is about to burst!"

The others couldn't even attempt to correct her right now.

"Calm yourself, my right arm." Gundham was gripping his twitching arm and stopping it from doing _something_ while his Four Dark Devas watched him with confusion. Kurama was also with them, and he felt just as confused as his hamster friends.

Nekomaru was already slumped next to Akane, too weak to even move.

"T-This isn't good….my head is spinning." That's all Ryota was able to get out before he too fell unconscious, unable to handle all the raging hormones in his body.

"R-Ryota!" Naruto wanted to check on him, but he couldn't move one muscle. Something like this wouldn't have worked on him before, but he no longer had Kurama's regenerative abilities to help him overcome this. He was just as vulnerable as the others.

Damn it all.

But surely this couldn't get worse, could it?

"N-Naruto-san…..!"

Damn you, karma.

Naruto was barely able to see Mikan before she tackled him to the floor. Yes, he was that weak right now.

"Mikan! What are you doing!?"

She was right on top of him. It was like a repeat of this morning, only Mikan didn't look embarrassed this time. Sure, her cheeks were flushed, but it gave her a more sexy appeal than before. Her heavy breathing only drove this image home.

"I-I can't stop myself."

Stop herself!?

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and brought their bodies as close as they could be. This wasn't helping Naruto's mental state right now. He was already drugged, now he had Mikan's soft body pressing up against him!?

"J-Just a bit. I-I just need a bit."

A bit of what!?

Sadly for Naruto, Mikan didn't explain further and instead started nibbling on his neck, which only made his situation worse.

Or was it better now?

Now normally, Naruto would have pushed her off. He was far stronger than her, after all. But in these circumstances, he was just too weak. His body wasn't listening to him at all.

"H-Hey, that's not fair."

If Naruto was looking for someone to save him, he got the opposite of that. For Mahiru, out of nowhere, took her place on his other side, her camera in hand. She looked equally as flushed as Mikan, and that only made Naruto the more worried.

"H-Hey, Mahiru, w-what-"

"It's not good to take selfies, but i-it can't be helped right now." Naruto saw the girl holding her camera over their heads and snapping several pictures of them. "T-They'll be blurry, but it's not bad, right?"

It was totally bad! Naruto's mind was already on the verge of collapse with Mikan nibbling on his neck. He didn't need Mahiru to be cuddling up to him too!

Sonia, who was on her hands and knees, looked at the trio and tried to crawl her way over there.

"M-Me too…."

Not her too!

"M-Miss Sonia." Somehow, Kazuichi was able to find the strength to stand. He started to walk toward the princess. "I-I can help-!"

He was already unzipping his blue jumpsuit when Fuyuhiko showed up to try and stop him.

"C-Cut it out, shithead." Fuyuhiko was barely able to keep his balance, but he was able to push Kazuichi back if only for the moment. "You g-gotta hold it in!"

"B-But Miss Sonia…..she needs me!"

"Not like that, she doesn't."

"M-Miss Sonia!"

"Be a man, and h-hold it in!"

"M-Miss Sonia….!"

Peko was unable to come to her master's aid, too weakened by the Sexy Sexy Soup to even stand.

"Y-Young master…..!"

She had to curse her weakness. And curse her body for feeling this way. Most of all, she was embarrassed with herself for thinking that she wanted to cuddle up with her young master like Mikan and Mahiru were doing to Naruto.

In all of this, Nagito sat by himself. He had unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his tie, giving him an air of pure sex appeal. The way he smiled only helped that image, his cheeks reddened from the soup.

"This is." He took all of this in for a second longer before smiling some more. "This is totally what hope is all about."

Only Naruto was able to hear him, and he was too busy trying to stop himself from committing a huge mistake as Mikan continued to nibble on his neck and Mahiru pressed her body closer to him, unbuttoning her own shirt in the process.

Right now, he was seeing things he wasn't supposed to!

All in all, this was total chaos.

And Hiyoko loved every second of it.

Or she would have if she didn't notice the compromising position Naruto was in.

'That idiot! What does he think he's doing!?'

She hadn't planned for this at all. She was about to break up that scene, but, sadly for her, she had other stuff to worry about as a re-energized Teruteru loomed over her.

"You've totally done it now."

Teruteru's features were darkened now, almost as if his powerful lust had taken over completely. Which is precisely what had happened.

"You've ventured somewhere you shouldn't have!"

"E-Eh!?" Hiyoko didn't know what to do as she looked at the cook.

"You've awakened a huge lust within me, one that was meant for Uzumaki-kun alone!"

That didn't sound right, but continue.

"Now you must face me." Teruteru stomped closer to the frightened Hiyoko. "I'm going to tear that kimono apart-!"

He wasn't able to get any closer to the girl as he was sent flying in the air by a powerful punch to his jaw by none other than Naruto himself.

"Y-You can't do that…..!" That's all Naruto was able to say before he collapsed again. He was able to escape Mikan's and Mahiru's grasp just in time to come in for the rescue, but that's all the energy he had left in him.

"T-Thank you for the treat!" Teruteru cried out as he spun in midair before hitting the floor, knocked out for good.

Hiyoko was the one left standing over the Uzumaki, who was completely paralyzed now.

"H-H'mph, you always have to be the hero, don't you?"

Did he have a hero complex or something?

She didn't get an answer, but Hiyoko wasn't expecting one. She hesitated for a moment before lying next to him and wrapping her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. She made sure to hide her face from view so that no one could see it.

She could blame all of this on the Sexy Sexy Soup later on, but Hiyoko was going to enjoy this. She just couldn't be honest with herself.

And so, this ended up being the worst celebration anyone could have asked for.

…...nah, it was totally the best.

* * *

 **Fanservice. Fanservice everywhere. You're welcome.**

 **I decided to have a bit more fun with this chapter. It's sort of a transitional chapter as we move away from the festival stuff and onto what's coming next. There were more details I wanted to add (like Sato and the Warriors of Hope), but that will have to wait till next chapter.**

 **Not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed it. I know just about all of you wanted me to include that scene from the anime, and I wasn't going to say no. Too funny to skip.**

 **Till next time.**


	22. Youth is all about Romance!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21:  
Youth is all about Romance!**

Sato was confused. It was a normal reaction, to be confused. Everyone was at some point in their lives. She was sure **Ultimates** felt confused sometimes too. Actually, that's what led to her confusion really.

She wasn't making sense you say?

Well, some explanation was needed then.

It had happened out of nowhere. Classes had come to an end for the day, when suddenly Mahiru barged into the classroom and dragged her out without saying a word. This is where Sato started to get confused.

Mahiru was never this forceful. Secondly, her face was full on red. In fact, Sato was almost positive she was seeing steam coming out of her best friend's ears.

So there was that.

And now, the two of them were together, sitting by one of the fountains in the school grounds. This was neutral area, so both **Ultimates** and Reserve Course students could be here. It was really nice, but pretty much every garden in the school was.

Wait a second. Now wasn't the time for such mundane details. Sato was still very much confused about this whole situation.

"S-Say, Mahiru-"

"Just give me a second. I-I need to calm down first."

"R-Right."

Sato tried to sound understanding, but she was only more confused now. Just what was going on? It couldn't be anything bad, right?

Silence settled between the two girls. Sato, despite her confusion, was content to let Mahiru take her time. She was always happy to be of assistance. And today was no different.

Her patience soon paid off, and Mahiru began to speak.

"L-Listen, something actually happened today…...in class."

Alright, that was a good start.

Sato nodded. "I see. And what exactly happened?"

It was probably more shenanigans, wasn't it? Sato had come to learn a lot during these past two weeks. Mainly that **Ultimates** were a crazy bunch. They were always doing stuff that was strange to the common people. But to them, it was just another day. She had hung out with Mahiru's class more and more to understand this well, but it was actually pretty fun. She was somewhat on good terms with some of the other girls too. It definitely felt like she was more welcomed there, and Sato was always happy to see them.

Well, Naruto, Fuyuhiko and Nagito were the exceptions. She had different reasons for keeping her distance from the three boys. Nagito and Fuyuhiko scared her, and she was just plain jealous of Naruto because of the close relationship he apparently had with Mahiru. It was a closeness Sato knew she couldn't replicate, since she was only an ordinary student. But that guy, Naruto, didn't have the same restriction as her.

Stupid goofy-looking blond.

But that was just her jealousy talking. It was a misguided jealousy, but it was there. Sato made sure to bury this jealousy, though. It was one of her biggest secrets now if she was being honest. She could never trouble Mahiru with this. She knew it would only trouble her friend to know how she felt. Sato would rather die first than let that happen.

Ah, but they weren't here for that. Mahiru had a problem somehow. But what could that be?

"I-It was stupid Hanamura again!" Mahiru exploded before she lowered her head, her cheeks getting rosier. "No, I can't blame him for this. It was Saionji who played the prank on us. I should have scolded her, but I don't have the right state of mind right now."

A prank? And it had something to do with Teruteru and Hiyoko? Yikes. Sato already didn't like the sound of this. Those two were a dangerous combo, after all. Even someone like her was able to understand that much.

"W-What are you talking about, Mahiru?" Sato wanted to help, she really did. But she couldn't really do that if she didn't get a better explanation.

Mahiru started to fidget. She placed both hands on her lap and lowered her head again. Sato was still able to see the massive blush on Mahiru's cheeks, though.

Just what had happened?

"S-Say, Sato….do you know what it feels like? T-To have feelings for someone?"

Sato's heart stopped for a moment. Did she hear that right?

"F-Feelings?" She took a look around, almost as if she was checking to make sure no one was around. "W-What kind of feelings are you talking about, Mahiru? Like friendship or-"

"Not like that, no." The redhead raised her head just a bit to look at her friend. "L-Like feelings o-of love."

The stutter, the blush, the look in her eyes. When did Mahiru turn into a love-stricken maiden!?

Sato had to stop herself from openly gaping. But it was totally justifiable! This was the first time she was seeing Mahiru like this.

Talking about love? Her cheeks bright red? This wasn't the usual strong and outspoken Mahiru that Sato had come to know. This was the total opposite of that!

Sato couldn't believe it. She had to keep her cool, though. Mahiru wanted some advice, and Sato was willing to give it. Or at least, that's what she _wanted_ to do. In reality, Sato was drawing a blank.

"I-I don't know how I can help with that. I haven't really dated anyone, you know…."

It was embarrassing to admit, but it was the truth.

Mahiru shook her head. "No, I understand. It's sort of insensitive of me to turn to you for this, but I didn't know what else to do."

"Y-You don't have to feel that way, Mahiru! We can totally figure this out together! I'm sure that's a possibility, right?"

Mahiru wasn't blushing as strongly as before, but there was still a noticeable red tint on her cheeks.

"I've been trying to understand it myself. I thought it was nothing, but after what I did…."

Just thinking about it made Mahiru want to run away and hide forever.

Sato had to mentally gulp.

"W-What happened?"

She needed to know.

"I…..we were sort of drugged earlier during our celebration. For being together as a class for a month. Hanamura prepared a whole banquet for us, but Saionji decided to put some aphrodisiacs in the mix as a prank. I have no idea what she was thinking, but during all that, I sort of…."

The more she spoke the paler Sato got. It just sounded like something out of a perverted novel! But the best, or worst, part had yet to be told.

"And then what?"

Mahiru had to cover her face with her hands out of pure embarrassment.

"I-I sort of cuddled with Naruto and even took indecent pictures with him!"

There was silence for a few minutes after that. Mahiru was too embarrassed to say anything, and Sato needed some time to cope with what she had heard.

First of all, Mahiru was calling Naruto by his first name now? So she was that comfortable with him? Or maybe she didn't realize it. Either way, that was a thing now.

Secondly…..Mahiru actually cuddled with a boy!? That was unthinkable before coming to this school. Sato knew just how strict her friend was when it came to boys. It all stemmed from her father, who was unemployed and did nothing all day. Mahiru was the one who had to take care of the house when her mother was gone for one of her many business trips. Because of this, Mahiru had never really been interested in guys before, just seeing them as lazy and unmotivated. It was a front of course, but it was a strong one.

That had begun to change a month ago. Sato had seen the early signs of this crush. It started with random mentions of this Naruto guy, about the latest stunt he pulled or something to that effect. Mahiru always made it out to be like she was annoyed, but Sato had noticed the smile that always graced her when she talked about him. Then it escalated to a bigger point, about how Mahiru had no problem taking pictures of the blond. Sato knew Mahiru wasn't fond of taking pictures of guys, but apparently this Naruto had started to become an exception.

Really, the festival two weeks ago only confirmed Sato's suspicions. It's why she didn't like Naruto. She was jealous of the blond and how strong of a bond he developed with her closest friend in such a short amount of time.

Honestly, Mahiru's confession shouldn't surprise her at all. But Sato was still left speechless. Maybe it was because a part of her had been hoping to be wrong all this time.

She was not so lucky.

Mahiru toyed with her camera while mumbling, "Can't you say something…..?"

The silence was starting to kill her.

"Ah!" Sato realized she still hadn't said anything. She sort of wanted to scream out in frustration, but she held herself back. She could still play another angle here.

"I-If you were all drugged like that, then I don't think it could count as genuine, right? I mean, it's not like you would do that under normal circumstances-"

"Of course I couldn't do it!" Mahiru quickly shook her head, her embarrassment rising up again. "I-I'm not that brave."

"Then-"

"B-But…" She started to mumble again. "I did _enjoy_ it….and I would never do something like that with anyone else, e-even if I was drugged."

Most of all, she couldn't bring herself to delete the pictures she took in her drugged state. They were terrible, and totally out of focus. They looked nothing like her regular work. By all accounts, Mahiru should hate those pictures.

But she didn't. She actually liked them a lot. And it only made her more conscious of her feelings.

Sato fell silent again. Her angle hadn't worked at all. Mahiru was fully convinced of her emotions. She wasn't looking to question that. No, Sato knew what her friend wanted to know.

"A-Are you…..are you planning on confessing?"

It was the worst possible scenario here, but also the most likely.

Mahiru looked away.

"No….I can't do something like that. Not right now. Besides." A smile started to tug at her lips. "That idiot is dense. I don't think he understands romance either. If I go up to him like this, I'm pretty sure it won't work at all."

There it was again. That fondness in her voice when she spoke about him. Sato hated it.

"Then….what are you going to do?"

That was the most important question here.

"I have no idea!" Mahiru buried her head in her lap. "That's why I came to you. What do you think I should do in this situation?"

It was the first time she had a crush, so Mahiru had no experience with stuff like this.

Neither did Sato, though.

Just what came next? What would someone do in this situation?

Sato had an idea, but she didn't want to say it. She couldn't.

Turns out, she didn't have to as Mahiru came to the same conclusion as her.

"I guess….maybe I have to make him understand. And go from there."

Sato _really_ didn't like the sound of that.

"What does that mean….?"

"You know, like in that one book you made me read a few months back. What was it again…? Something in the ocean….."

Sato remembered. " _So Lingers the Ocean_."

It was a popular romance novel that just recently came out like a year ago. It was already one of the most popular romance stories of all time. All the evidence you needed for that was that Mahiru, whose least favorite genre was romance, was still able to enjoy it. That spoke volumes to its writing. Sato really wanted to meet the author some day, but that wasn't important right now.

Mahiru just nodded. "Yeah, that one. I just have to do what the main character did in that book. You know….." She started to fidget again, like an overly excited school girl. Total one eighty from her usual personality. "M-Make him understand my feelings for him…..and t-then maybe confess to him."

"J-Just give me a second." Sato had to stop herself from visibly flinching at all of this. "You're really going through with this?"

And using a romance novel as her guide? What kind of dark magic was this?

Mahiru looked down and smiled. "Yeah. I kind of want to understand my feelings a bit better. It's the first time this has happened to me, so I want to see how far it can go. B-Besides, he's not all bad….and he's definitely...cute."

Especially his eyes. Mahiru always felt like she could be swallowed up in that intense gaze of his. It was definitely as vast as the ocean, and it really did make her excited.

Wait, what was she thinking!? Was that Sexy Sexy Soup still affecting her!?

'No, I can't blame that.'

The Sexy Sexy Soup had only only been an outlet for her emotions. Yes, it took a drug soup made by the most perverted person alive for her to finally come to terms with the fact that she was developing feelings for Naruto.

How embarrassing was that?

Sato looked down in defeat. What was she supposed to do? Cheer for Mahiru? Even though she didn't really want to? Why had this happened in the first place? Why did things have to start changing all of a sudden?

'If I was an **Ultimate** ….'

Things could have been different, right? Then she wouldn't just be a side character, right?

'If only I had talent….'

It had been a long time since Sato had thought this. She had become content just sitting back and letting Mahiru shine. As long as she could be close to her, nothing else mattered. But now, Sato wished she could be on the same footing as her. Not just look up at her. Then she could be worthy, just like Naruto was.

The world was unfair, wasn't it?

"Ah, but I don't know what to do about tomorrow!" Mahiru, unaware of her friend's thoughts, fell back on the bench with a heavy sigh. "How can I face him again after what happened today?"

She wasn't ready for that.

Sato forced a smile. "W-Well, you said it yourself, right? He's an idiot. I'm pretty sure he won't think too deeply about it."

Maybe.

Mahiru's smile was more genuine. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Hopefully. Although that wasn't going to stop her heart from bouncing out of her chest in embarrassment.

But Mahiru was willing to chance it. She didn't really understand all of this as it was new territory for her, but like she said she was willing to see this through.

The future was definitely uncertain, and for now Mahiru was content with that.

* * *

 _Smack_.

"Ooooohhhh, that one was more painful than the others. But it also bounced off pretty nicely."

 _Bam._

"Oooooookkkaaayyy, that one might have hurt a little bit more. May I ask that you be more gentle this time, Miss Peko? You're very close to the green!"

"Gimme that!"

"Eh!" Teruteru shrieked in pleasure when Naruto started to smack him on the face with Peko's sword, said girl just standing back and watching.

There were other spectators too, like Nekomaru and Akane. The two were still exhausted from the earlier "catastrophe" and so were slumped on the stage of the gym together. Kurama proudly stood over the downed Nekomaru, happily wagging his tail as he felt like a true king from that vantage point.

Gundham stood by the wall with his arms crossed while a giddy Hiyoko stood nearby watching Teruteru receive his "punishment."

Speaking of the cook, he was currently tied up to the ceiling by a bunch of wires, courtesy of Naruto himself. He had done this to make sure he and Peko could lay out some well deserved justice.

Of course, that was hard to do when the one you were punishing kept moaning and writhing in pleasure.

"Ah, you're so cruel, Uzumaki-kun!" Teruteru cried out, hearts in his eyes. Blood was even dripping from his nose! "Miss Peko wasn't bad, but I definitely enjoy your touch so much more!"

Naruto really felt like giving up, a rare feeling for him. "Are you a total masochist now? Is that what this is?"

"I don't know what you mean, Uzumaki-kun." Teruteru's face lacked any remorse. "I've always been like this!"

That didn't really help the situation right now.

"I guess even the depraved can't be punished sometimes," Peko said reluctantly.

"Aww, come on! Hit him again!" Hiyoko wanted to enjoy the show just a bit longer.

"Why do you sound so laid back?" The blonde dancer let out a small squeak in pain when Naruto bopped her on the head with his hand. "I haven't forgotten your involvement in this."

Teruteru might have created the soup, but Hiyoko was still responsible for actually using it. And on them no less!

"I-It wasn't my fault, I swear!" Hiyoko nursed her head while pouting. "I didn't think things would get so out of hand!"

More specifically, she never expected Mahiru to do what she did. In hindsight, she should have been more cautious of Mikan. That nurse was a total pervert, on par with Teruteru! Hiyoko should have made sure Naruto wasn't near her when they were eating.

But that couldn't be helped now. And besides, Hiyoko was more than happy with the reward she received. Cuddling with Naruto had been even better than she imagined. She could definitely do it again one day.

Naruto sighed. "Look here. Mahiru totally ran away earlier, and Mikan won't even talk to me."

Not that she really could right now with how busy she was. Koichi, Ibuki, Nagito, and Chiaki had all felt the effects of the Sexy Sexy Soup the most, and so were laid out for the time being. Mikan was looking after them in the nurse's office with Sonia there as support. Fuyuhiko and Ryota had also volunteered to help and were there as the muscle.

Only Kazuichi had gone back to his dorm room, claiming to be too exhausted after everything that had happened.

Naruto was pretty tired too. It was the first time he had gone through something like that, and his body still hadn't fully recovered yet. He still had enough energy to dish out some punishment, though, hence why Teruteru was hanging upside down from the ceiling of the gym.

"A-Anyway, do you remember what happened after that?" Hiyoko asked somewhat timidly. "A-After you punched big bro Hanamura…."

"Thank you for that by the way!"

Shush, Teruteru. This wasn't about you.

"Huh? Oh, I. Um." Naruto scratched his chin in thought. "What _did_ happen after that?"

He couldn't really remember really. Things were just blurry after punching Teruteru.

Gundham and Peko had been dealing with their own problems at the time, so it's not like they could remember either.

Hiyoko felt relieved by this. "O-Oh, I see! Then don't worry about it. I thought something more terrible might have happened, so I just wanted to make sure."

"Terrible?" Crossing his arms, Naruto hummed as he thought about it more deeply. "No, there was nothing terrible. It did feel like there was someone next to me, though. It felt really warm and nice…..I guess."

Hiyoko's face nearly exploded in embarrassment, her cheeks full on red.

"W-Why did you have to say it like that!?"

Not that she was really complaining. She was actually happy. But still!

"W-What?" Naruto was understandably confused. "I don't get it?"

Of course he didn't.

Hiyoko wasn't explaining anything, though. She simply turned away from him with a huff as she tried to get her blush under control.

"I feel like I'm being discriminated against here," Teruteru muttered under his breath as he watched all of this.

Sure he had been the one to create the Sexy Sexy Soup, but he hadn't actually used it. And yet, he was the one getting the punishment. How frigging unfair!

And delicious. Just being tied up by Naruto was almost enough to overwhelm him with ecstasy.

Yeah, you really couldn't "punish" Teruteru properly. He would just take it with a big old smile on his face. It was the power of the pervert!

Naruto and Peko really hated that.

"T'ch, whatever." Naruto no longer had the energy to keep smacking the cook. "We'll just leave you there for now."

"What!?" Teruteru cried out in what could only be considered more excitement. "You're definitely cruel, Uzumaki-kun! Torturing me like this! Do you enjoy watching me writhing in pain so much!? You beast!"

Peko felt like she was going to get a massive headache just listening to this. No, wait. She already had a headache.

"He really is uncontrollable."

"There are some beings that you must keep at bay," Gundham said while shaking his head. "Lest their aura consumes you."

In this case, Teruteru's perversion rubbing off on them.

What a terrible outcome that would be.

"Are you guys done yet?" Akane said groggily. She struggled to stand, almost like she was experiencing a terrible hungover. It wasn't really that far from the truth actually. "Can we get on with the training?"

"What's this?" Hiyoko feigned her surprise. "You can't even stand, lest of all fight. You seriously want to keep training?"

"Hell yeah."

Akane was one of a kind, wasn't she?

"I was sort of looking forward to kicking Peko-chan's ass today," Naruto admitted.

Peko's eyebrow twitched at this. "Hold on. Why are you acting like your victory is already assured?"

Naruto threw her a smirk. "That's because it is. I was planning on going all out today. You couldn't stop me even if you wanted to."

"Is that so?" Peko might have felt tired as well, but now her aura changed. It was like that of a beast getting ready to devour her prey. "Let's take Owari's advice. We should still go through with our spar."

Gundham had to take a step back. "This aura…..it feels like a monster ready to consume anyone stupid enough to enter its territory!"

Coming from Gundham, it was actually a compliment.

"Oh my!" Teruteru struggled against the wires keeping him in place. "I need to get closer to this heavenly sensation!"

Naruto and Peko were too busy glaring at one another to react to Teruteru's asinine comment.

"Ugh, so be it." Nekomaru got up to his feet, carefully placing Kurama on his head to make sure the little fox didn't fall off. He cracked his knuckles. "I'm not at one hundred percent, but I'll make sure you all are."

Uh. What did that mean?

"It's about time I unleashed _it_. _It_ will surely get you back to one hundred percent!"

Hiyoko raised an eyebrow. "What is this guy talking about?"

No one knew, but it looked like they were going to find out. And the first one to do so was Naruto who was suddenly pounced upon by the **Ultimate Team Manager**.

Naruto would usually be able to react to this and get out of the way in time, but it seemed like his body was still too affected by the Sexy Sexy Soup to move properly.

"W-Wait, what's going on!?"

"I'll show you a whole new world!" Nekomaru shouted, the electric hue around his eyes getting stronger all of a sudden.

"Don't say something so misleading!"

"Oh my." Hiyoko couldn't stop herself from openly staring when she saw Nekomaru almost tear open Naruto's shirt. She was no pervert, but there was definitely something enticing about the whole thing.

"So not fair!" Teruteru burst into tears. "Only I should be allowed to do that!"

Peko delivered another halfhearted smack to the crying cook with her sword, but it really didn't do anything at this point.

Only Naruto's screaming could be heard echoing in the gym soon after.

* * *

In the nurse's office, Mikan tenderly placed a wet towel on Chiaki's forehead. It wouldn't have a big effect, but it would at least make her more comfortable. That's all Chiaki really needed until she got her strength back.

The same was true for Ibuki. Only Koichi and Nagito came down with a small fever. Nothing really bad. The former probably from all his drinking and Nagito was just weak in general. That's what Mikan had observed anyway.

Thankfully no one was in any true danger. Although Mikan could really have done without that prank. Really, it was too embarrassing to even think about.

'H-How could I have acted that way?'

How could she even talk to Naruto now? He probably thought she was a terrible person. And after he was so nice to her too.

'I really am the worst.'

Mikan almost fell into tears, but she stopped herself. If only because Sonia was in the nurse's office with her.

"Incredible." Sonia admired Mikan's work as she stood over the sleeping Nagito. He looked to be in a very peaceful sleep. Mikan had done her best to make sure that all four were very comfortable. It was her pride as the **Ultimate Nurse**. "You really are amazing, Tsumiki-san!"

"E-Eh?" Sonia's words made Mikan snap out of her depressing thoughts, if only for the moment. She then bowed in gratitude. "T-Thank you! Most people find what I do to be weird…."

She knew the others in her class didn't think so, but it was still something she was apprehensive about. A lingering fear from all the years she was bullied for her talent.

"It's not weird at all!" Sonia's face was firm as she faced the nurse. "It's thanks to you that Kurama was saved as well! We are all grateful to have you with us."

Mikan blushed at the praise, poking her fingers together.

"T-Thank you."

She had done that, hadn't she? She had helped Kurama…..and Naruto had even hugged her! It was still one of Mikan's fondest memories.

This only reminded her of her recent mistake, which made her depressed again. She had totally messed up today, hadn't she? Doing something terrible like that.

Sonia didn't know what to make of Mikan's attitude at the moment. She was happy a second ago, but now she was back to being gloomy again. The **Ultimate Princess** wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to "normal" social cues, as she was raised in a totally different environment compared to the others. But even so, the thought of wanting to help her friend feel better was certainly normal to have, right?

Sonia didn't know how to do that, though. But thinking back, she did have something on her mind. Maybe talking about it would make Mikan feel better?

It was worth a try at least.

"Say, Tsumiki-san."

"Hm?" After making sure Ibuki was resting comfortably, Mikan looked up at the blonde.

"Do you have feelings of love for Naruto?"

The only reason Mikan didn't shriek was because she had patients around. She had enough self-awareness for that. That didn't stop her from blushing a storm, though.

"W-W-W-W-W-What-!?"

What kind of question was that!? Why would Sonia be asking her that now!? Mikan was sure that only Fuyuhiko knew about her growing feelings, but Sonia did too!?

Sonia tilted her head. She was a lot more calm than the nurse.

"Am I wrong? After what happened today, I was sure that's what it was." Her eyes started to sparkle. "It totally reminds me of _That Person in the Wind_! Since you are a nurse, it brings that hospital feel to it!"

Hospital feel to it? What was Sonia talking about now?

"I…..I don't think I understand."

"I'm sure you've heard of it! It's a medical drama, filled with love and passion! An upcoming rookie doctor fights the elite senior doctor for the one they love! It was totally remarkable!"

Oh.

"I-I see." Mikan wasn't really into soap operas, but it sounded very intense. And the romance angle was definitely aligned with her tastes. Like that one romance novel about a fisherman that was published around a year ago.

"A-Although there is no love triangle here….."

It was just her and her silly crush.

Sonia's excitement died down. Her face turned somewhat somber.

"Yes, I suppose not. But I envy you, Tsumiki-san. You're able to pursue your romance without any concerns. It is truly amazing the freedom you have."

Mikan wouldn't put it that way, but on a closer inspection she understood what Sonia was trying to say. As the ruling princess to a whole nation, she couldn't really just start a relationship on a whim. She probably had a lot of responsibilities imposed in that regard. It made Mikan really scared just thinking about it. Was Sonia already meant to marry someone? Did she have no choice at all?

"Most people would not understand what it means to start a relationship with me," Sonia said. She didn't sound bitter about it, though. She understood. It was just the way things were for her. "If I were to pick someone, they would have to uphold many duties. For example, they would need to know thirty foreign languages, economics, international law, and so on. Essentially, they would have to take the same rigorous teaching as my own."

Wow. That sounded sort of intimidating. But Mikan picked up on something more important.

"O-Oh, so you can choose your husband."

Sonia tilted her head, her face somewhat puzzled. "Why, yes I can. My parents have allowed me that opportunity."

Well, that was a relief. Mikan didn't want to think that Sonia was being forced into something she didn't want.

"That is why I wanted to confirm it with you, Tsumiki-san."

Confirm? Confirm what?

Sonia was happy to elaborate. "I wasn't sure how you felt, but now it does seem we might be standing on opposite ends."

Opposite ends?

Mikan felt lost. "I-I'm sorry. I don't think I understand what you're trying to say….."

Had she offended her friend somehow? Mikan hoped that wasn't the case! She had already done something terrible to Naruto. She didn't want to make Sonia angry too.

But Sonia only smiled. "I believe that Naruto can become the husband that can rule Novoselic alongside me."

That….wasn't something Mikan was expecting to hear today.

Just. What the hell?

"I-I don't-"

"He has great ambition, and has a sound mind! I'm sure he could become a wonderful ruler! His dream is most inspiring as well." Sonia smiled softly. "It has made me realize that I want to walk down a similar path. Surely, it is a sign that he can do great good."

Mikan didn't doubt that either, but that wasn't the point!

"I-I'm trying to understand this." Mikan was surprised she could still talk properly, but maybe it was because she was somewhat frustrated? "I really don't mean to offend, b-but….does that mean you have feelings for Naruto-san?"

Or was it only because he was a good leader?

Depending on the answer, Mikan would get angry.

Sonia took a second to consider the question before answering it.

"I can't say truthfully. Not yet. I have definite positive emotions towards him, but I have never experienced love before. That is why it's not easy for me to classify what is currently in my heart."

That eased Mikan's frustrations. She knew this wasn't Sonia's fault. She had already shared with them how she didn't have a single friend their age back in her kingdom. No one her age matched her social status, after all. That's why Hope's Peak Academy had been a godsend for her. She could socialize with people her own age! And if she were to develop feelings for one of those friends, it wasn't hard to see that she would have trouble coming to understand those feelings.

Mikan could sympathize, but this also made her sad. She knew there was no way she stood a chance if Sonia was interested in Naruto as well. She was far more beautiful than Mikan could ever hope to be.

Sonia didn't see things that way, though. "I may be inexperienced, but I will give it my all!"

Mikan felt like shrinking down to a disgusting goo on the floor. That's how hopeless she felt right now.

"Y-You don't have to say that. I already know I can't compare to you."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Tsumiki-san?"

Sonia's tone became more forceful, and it honestly startled the nurse.

"W-What?"

"It's like I said before! You are very beautiful. A tough match for anyone!"

Mikan had taken Sonia's compliment to heart back then. She really had. But it still wasn't easy for her to let go of her insecurities.

"I-I…..."

What could she say, though?

"I don't really understand how can you say that, Tsumiki-san." All of a sudden, Sonia was standing very close to Mikan. Dangerously so. It almost made Mikan flinch. "You have a very good body, you know!"

From just about anyone else, that comment could be taken as perverted and nothing else. But with Sonia, it was different. She was just speaking her mind, and she had no other intentions besides that.

It still made Mikan freeze up and turn bright red.

"I-I don't think that's true….!" It was a good thing she remembered there were patients in the room, otherwise she would have squeaked in total embarrassment.

Sonia was insistent, though.

"Don't say that! Look at your hips, and your breasts too!"

"E-Eh!?"

It was almost like something out of a dirty novel. Seeing Sonia start to touch Mikan's body and even fondle her breasts to emphasize her point was something that would send the likes of Kazuichi to the hospital from a heart attack.

It was just so…..glorious?

"Oi, we brought back more supplies like you asked. Do you need anything-?"

Fuyuhiko felt the words die in his mouth when he entered the room. He was carrying some boxes from one of the storage rooms where supplies were kept for the nurse's office and the like. Mikan had started to run out of some stuff, and Fuyuhiko was more than happy to help out with that.

Ryota was right next to him, also carrying some boxes. He too froze up when he saw what was happening in the room.

What other reaction could they have to seeing Sonia's hands under Mikan's shirt and groping her ample chest?

"I-I'm sorry!" Panicking, Ryota ran out of the room, still holding on to the boxes. It was just too much for his mind to handle.

Fuyuhiko was more straightforward with his answer, scowling at the two girls.

"Why the fuck am I surrounded by total perverts around here!?"

Asking the real questions around here, Fuyuhiko.

* * *

"Kyah! He's totally awesome! Kick her ass, Naruto-kun!"

"Kotoko, language please."

"Stop being such a buzzkill, Nagisa. I'm trying to enjoy this moment!"

This was followed by the sound of metal hitting metal, as well as sparks flying throughout the clearing they were in. The ones responsible for this were none other than Naruto and Peko, sword clashing with kunai. The two were like blurs to anyone watching them.

Peko was using her katana, not her regular shinai which she usually carried. Naruto was outfitted in his complete gear, including the fox mask and everything. He had also made a new addition to his trench coat: his Konoha headband. Ibuki had stitched it to his right sleeve after Naruto had asked her to. She was really good at that kind of stuff apparently. It was totally meaningless for anyone else, but it made Naruto feel complete.

Anyway, the headband aside, Naruto and Peko had decided to take their spar outside rather than ruin the gym again. Thankfully Hope's Peak Academy had much room to spare.

The two were totally back to one hundred percent after Nekomaru had performed _it_ to them. Neither were willing to go into more detail beyond that.

Let's just say Teruteru had suffered a massive nosebleed twice, and Hiyoko nearly passed out from embarrassment when Naruto was the recipient of _it_.

As they had been leaving the gym, the kids from the elementary division had shown up, apparently wanting to hang out with them again. That was another common occurrence these days. Naruto and the others didn't mind it really. They seemed to be good kids, and they were always friendly. Although Hiyoko and Masaru still didn't get along too well.

Hiyoko could be really immature sometimes.

But here they were. Nekomaru, with Kurama still on his head, Akane, Gundham, and Hiyoko were watching their two friends spar along with the **Li'l Ultimates**. They had left Teruteru back in the gym, still hanging upside down. The cook had tried to protest, but no one listened to him.

It was totally unfair!

"T'ch!" Naruto had to fall back a little when Peko's sword nearly connected with his side. Wire shot out from his wrist which wrapped itself around a nearby branch, pulling Naruto back and away from Peko's reach.

Peko smirked at this. "You're getting more used to using those pesky wires of yours I see."

They were one of the blond's main weapon now, so calling them _pesky_ was a little annoying.

"And you almost just stabbed me!" Naruto shouted, now on top of the branch.

Peko looked indifferent to his outrage.

"You were the one who said he was going to defeat me. I can't pull my punches after such a declaration."

Oh yeah, she was totally enjoying this a bit _too_ much. Had he accidentally turned her into a sadist with their many spars?

Quite terrifying to think about.

Peko held her sword steady before her. "Now quit stalling. How long are you going to stay up there?"

It was Naruto who smirked this time. "You forget my title, Peko-chan. Facing you directly isn't my only option."

As he said this, he disappeared into the trees, much to her annoyance.

"Using the terrain now." She should have expected something like this, though. He wasn't called the **Ultimate Ninja** for fun.

"Hey, fight head on!" Akane shouted from the sidelines. "It isn't fun otherwise!"

Gundham shook his head. "Striking from the shadows has its advantages. You could even say it's more deadly this way."

Hiyoko snickered. "I don't think someone like big sis Owari can understand that, though. She's totally brain dead!"

Gundham didn't know whether to agree with her or not, so he decided to keep quiet.

Peko stood her ground, not moving an inch. She kept a tight grip on her sword, her eyes darting to every possible direction around her. She had come to know that Naruto could be extremely crafty when he wanted to be. That only made him a more dangerous opponent.

Her ears twitched when she heard the sound of shuriken buzzing through the trees from behind her. They shot right for her, aiming for her vital spots.

'Nice aim!'

Peko gave the blond this mental compliment as she blocked the shuriken with her blade. It was easy enough for her to do. They scattered after being deflected, some embedding themselves into nearby trees. But Peko didn't give that much thought, for she knew this was only the beginning.

Sure enough, several smoke bombs were thrown her way. They went off right after hitting the ground, blinding Peko to her surroundings.

'He wasn't kidding…..he's serious.'

Peko had known beforehand about the smoke bombs, since the whiskered blond had asked her young master if he could buy some from the clan. It was just another tool to help him become more elusive than he already was.

That said, Peko just wasn't going to stand around and play along with his games.

She performed a single clean swipe in the air, which sent a gust of wind around her to scatter the smoke from the bombs. This way, she could have visibility again.

Unfortunately, Naruto had already predicted this. Just as she finished performing her swipe, he appeared from behind with one of Izayoi's specialized kunai in hand.

'Oh no!' Peko's senses alerted her of the danger, but she was too slow to react in time.

By the time she could move her sword back to try and get at Naruto, the blond was already standing behind her with his kunai placed directly over her neck.

If this were a real fight, Peko knew she would already be dead.

That might sound morbid, but she still smiled as she lowered her sword.

"You managed to get me again. Timing your attack like that…..I was too careless."

"Ehehehe, you should never focus on one thing. It leaves you exposed for attacks like this."

Maybe, but only someone with Naruto's speed could take advantage of such a small opening.

"Wait, what happened!? I couldn't see anything through the smoke!"

The moment between them ended when Akane cried in outrage at having missed the most important part of the spar due to the smoke.

Nekomaru looked pleased. "Remarkable! You were both fantastic!"

Peko was still a bit bitter about losing, though. She would just have to try harder next time.

"More like totally cool and awesome!" Kotoko was already running up to Naruto. Once she was close enough, she engulfed him in a hug. "You're like a total warrior, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah. Something like that."

This behavior from the girl was common, but Naruto still wasn't used to the constant hugs. It was like she looked up to him or something. It was kind of weird, but he also couldn't say no either.

He was far too considerate for that type of behavior.

"I still think it's totally lame when you fight like that," Akane grumbled as she and the others approached them. "A fight is supposed to be head on, with your fists!"

Naruto deadpanned as Kurama jumped from Nekomaru's head onto his. "I like to have a more diversified arsenal than just hand-to-hand, ya know."

Good thing his mask didn't hinder his sight at all. That's what had worried him the most at first, but it was perfect. Tengan had done really well with all this equipment. Just another thing Naruto owed him.

"H'mph, you're totally like an agent of the night," Gundham said, a small smirk tugging his lips. "Ready to strike anyone who dares to cross you. An assassin that can only be seen after it's too late. Be proud of yourself! You're more than worthy to serve as my servant, mortal! Fuahahahahahahaha!"

For the last time, Uzumaki Naruto was no one's servant!

"I can't help but wonder why you use such outdated weapons, though." Nagisa was trying to wrap his head around that. Like, kunai and shuriken? So weird. "Wouldn't a gun be more effective?"

"I'm not all that familiar with guns," Naruto answered, sounding a bit sheepish. "I can fire them, sure, but I feel more comfortable with the fighting style I already have."

Guns were totally unnecessary to him. Not that he wasn't familiar with them. He had been studying with Sonia whenever he could about them, since apparently the princess had been trained in weapon use.

Just another weird thing about her kingdom.

So yes, he was familiar enough with guns where he wouldn't be surprised by them, but not to where he was comfortable enough to use them. He could spend the time trying to learn, sure, but he'd rather hone other skills more suited to him.

"You're already dangerous enough even without guns," Peko said as she patted him on the shoulder. "I have a hard time seeing anyone defeating you without them losing a few bones first."

So nice, Peko.

Masaru cringed. "Painful."

"It is a fight, after all," Jataro said. "People can like totally die in them!"

"I-I know that! I'm just saying!"

Kotoko grinned. "Awww, poor Masaru got called out. And by Jataro of all people! Must suck."

Naruto sighed as he removed his mask. "Stop making fun of him, Kotoko. It's not nice."

Honestly. It felt like the girl was a second Hiyoko at times with the way she was always chastising Jataro and Masaru.

Monaca just smiled as she took all of this in.

It was then that Naruto's stomach made its presence known, growling loudly much to the amusement of everyone else there.

Naruto had to blush. "Guess I'm hungry."

It had been sort of a long day. Nekomaru's _it_ treatment wasn't bad, but it didn't exactly replenish energy.

Looks like they were going to have to cut Teruteru down now.

But hey, a good meal after a nice sparring session? Who could say no to that?

* * *

The day was growing to a close. By the time the sun was already setting, Koichi, Nagito, Ibuki, and Chiaki had all recovered from the Sexy Sexy Soup.

The professional scouter had many questions about what had happened after waking up. Knowing that he had been on the receiving end of such a prank didn't exactly make him happy. But he also couldn't complain too much. No _accidents_ had happened, so his job was still safe.

…...right? There were no accidents, right?

Totally right!

Even with all the rest he had gotten, Koichi still felt tired as he entered the headmaster's office.

Jin didn't greet him, since he was on the phone.

"Yes, I understand. How long has it been?"

Koichi perked up right away. He knew the tone Jin was using. Something serious was happening. Regrettably, Koichi wasn't able to pick up what the voice on the other end was saying. So he had no way to know what this was all about until he could ask Jin about it.

"I'm more than willing to send someone." Jin's eyes narrowed. "I don't care if she won't like it. It's my duty. It's bad enough you allowed this to happen in the first place. I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing about it."

Koichi took his usual seat on the couch as he waited patiently for Jin to finish with his call.

"Yes, I have someone special in mind. I'm sure even you won't have too many complaints. I'll see you tomorrow."

Koichi felt his curiosity rise when he saw Jin nearly slamming the phone down as he ended the call.

Someone was angry.

"What's up? Something troubling come up?"

Jin frowned.

"It's more than that. I'm going to need help for a special assignment."

Special assignment? This was definitely something important then.

Jin stood up from his seat, his face nothing but serious.

"Send for Uzumaki Naruto. I have a favor to ask of him."

* * *

 **So many are wondering if this is a harem or not. This chapter probably won't help with that. I believe I already said it wasn't, and that it was a single pairing. Now, people are asking me if I changed my mind on that. The answer: who knows. Maybe I did, or maybe I'm just screwing with you guys. Maybe I'm just making it even harder for you to guess until it actually happens. You're welcomed to make your theories. That's part of the fun.**

 **Anyway, the transitional chapters are now done. We start heading into new territory next chapter. Expect more action. The slice of life atmosphere has been fun up to now (hell, it's been over twenty chapters), but I gotta change things up. And it'd be a shame to not use that side of Naruto's character. That, and Danganronpa does have its fair share of actiony stuff.**

 **I will say that it will center around an unexpected trio that you'll never guess! Well, you can guess Naruto. But not the other two! And yes, they're canon characters.**

 **That's all for me. Once again, hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Till next time.**


	23. Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22:  
** **Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours**

Getting called into the headmaster's office very early in the morning was not something most people would look forward to. Like, it could only mean that something bad was about to happen, right? Maybe you did something wrong?

Maybe even an expulsion!?

However, Naruto had none of these fears as he calmly stepped into the office. He had his bag slung lazily over his shoulder while Kurama rested happily on his head.

This wasn't the first time the blond was in the headmaster's office, but it was the first time he was in here with other people around.

Of course, there was the headmaster himself, Kirigiri Jin. He had his hands folded on the desk, his face troubled.

There was a second person Naruto didn't recognize. It was an older man, even older than the headmaster. He wore glasses and was in a white dress shirt with a nice pair of slacks. He had wispy white hair and pale brown eyes, along with a bushy white beard and mustache.

Stylish.

Jin looked up when he heard Naruto coming in. He didn't even bat an eye when he saw Kurama resting comfortably on Naruto's head. After becoming headmaster for this school, one sort of got used to weird and random stuff like that.

Was that a perk of the job? That was up to you to decide.

"Ah, Uzumaki-kun. I'm glad to see you got my message. Please, sit down."

The man was trying to be friendly, but it was clear that it was a forced act. The man was definitely shaken about something.

How curious.

"It's no trouble." Naruto took a seat in one of the other sofas, opposite of the older man who was watching him intently. "I was already going to get up early today anyway."

Gundham saw to that. He was very excited about that super rare breed of hamsters that he was raising, and he wanted Naruto to share the experience with him. It was a kind gesture, so there was no way he could turn it down. Besides, it also allowed Kurama to play with the Four Dark Devas. It was a win-win for everyone.

"I see. I'm glad to hear that." Jin then gestured to the older man. "Uzumaki-kun, allow me to introduce you to Kirigiri Fuhito. He's involved with the reason I asked you to come here today."

Wait a second. _Kirigiri_ Fuhito? Naruto couldn't remember very well, but he was sure the headmaster's last name was also Kirigiri. Was there a connection there?

"Hmm, yes. I've been informed of you, Uzumaki Naruto." Fuhito kept his eyes on the blond, still studying him intently. Like he was sizing him up. "My son believes you can be of use to us. You and your skills."

Oh. Ooooooooohhhhh.

'So they're father and son.'

That explained a lot.

Jin frowned. "You don't have to put it that way."

He always hated that side of the man. Always practical, no matter the situation. It was like he was a machine sometimes, rather than human.

Fuhito didn't seem to care. "There is no reason to beat around the bush here. I am still against this, but if you're so insistent on sending him then there isn't a moment to waste."

"How can you say something so irresponsible!?" Jin held himself back from slamming his hands on the desk. "Your own granddaughter nearly died no less than a day ago, and you're against helping her!?"

"It comes with the job."

Fuhito's calm and simple response only made Jin even angrier.

"I really hate that attitude of yours. I knew it was a mistake to leave her with you."

"H'mph, then you never should have left."

Naruto was left looking between the two men, unsure of what to do here. It hadn't even been five minutes and these two were already at each other's throats. There was definitely bad blood between them.

Family could be a complicated thing. Who knew?

Jin took in a deep breath in order to get his emotions under control. Once he did, he glared at the man whom he once called father.

"Your objection is ignored. I will make sure my daughter is safe, no matter what. You and your family tradition mean nothing to me. Only she does. Do I make myself clear?"

Fuhito didn't look bothered by this at all. "I believe you have. But this childish bickering isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's just get down to business already. I have no desire to be here longer than I have to."

"Yes, the feeling is mutual."

Well, okay then. All of that had just happened.

'The headmaster can be passionate too, huh.'

Definitely interesting.

Jin's gaze shifted to Naruto. "My apologies. I didn't mean to make this awkward for you."

Awkward? Pfft, of course not! Seeing father and son bicker like this was totally normal. It wasn't awkward at all!

Naruto scratched his cheek. "You said something about your daughter?"

It was best to just move the conversation along.

So the headmaster had a daughter. Surprising really. Maybe it was because Naruto couldn't picture the man as.a father. Not that he knew him very well, but still.

"Yes." Jin took a moment to glance at the only picture he had on his desk. It was one of his favorite possessions in this world. It was of him and his daughter together. One of the last few times they had been father and daughter before he had left his family name behind.

"I won't bore you with the details, but in short she's employed as a detective."

"One of the best," Fuhito cut in, sounding proud. "I'm sure she will only continue to grow even sharper."

It was hard, but Jin didn't snap at the man and instead carried on.

"She was assigned to a certain case around two months ago. It deals with one of the wealthiest men in this country."

Huh. So the headmaster had a daughter, and she was a detective. Based on what he heard so far, Naruto had a good idea as to where this was heading.

"There have been…...familial disputes as of late, regarding the man's family," Jin explained. "To be precise, with his inheritance. It appears as though he doesn't have much time left, and his children are fighting over who gets what."

Sounded typical.

"Something of that nature wouldn't matter much to us," Fuhito said, picking things up from here. "However, two months ago, one of the man's children was found dead in his home. It is believed that one of the other siblings had him assassinated since he was considered the father's favorite. That's when my granddaughter was called in. As one of the best detectives in the world, it's only natural that she would tackle a case this important."

Right, right. He was definitely proud of her, wasn't he? It would be kind of cute, if not for the obvious disdain he held for his son.

But Naruto continued to listen.

"The man believes his children are innocent," Jin carried on. "That's why he hired a detective in the first place, to prove that it has nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be that way. One of the other siblings is definitely involved. My daughter was getting close to uncovering who the true culprit was until something happened yesterday. The hotel room she was staying in was bombed."

Way to escalate things.

"It's obvious whoever is behind all of this isn't happy with her work," Jin said, shaking his head. "Luckily, she wasn't in her room when it happened. But it was a definite close call. Based on this, it's obvious that the culprit is going to use whatever means to stop her. Even violent ones. That's why I need your help, Uzumaki-kun."

In all honesty, for a normal person this would be a lot to take in. A murder case, bombings, a family dispute. It definitely sounded like something out of those dramas Sonia was always going on all about.

But really, it was all normal for Naruto. Jiraiya had told him different stories about the noblemen back in the Elemental Nations during their training trip, and the sort of stuff they got involved in. This was just a classic example of that.

Money was a powerful motive sadly. It represented power, and that was something people always wanted.

Naruto still needed to ask, "Why me?"

Surely there were other people better suited for this.

Jin had his reasons, though.

"This is a personal request. I can't use my position as headmaster for something like this. Still, it's up to you to decide. I've already been informed of some of the stuff you can do. You're also relatively unknown. My daughter will have no idea of your true motive for being there."

He wanted to keep this a secret from her?

Jin could see the question forming in Naruto's head, so he explained further.

"My daughter can be very stubborn. And prideful. She wouldn't accept your help if we asked her. That's why you have to keep your true identity a secret from her."

So he was basically being tasked to watch over her from afar. In all honesty, it did sound perfect for the **Ultimate Ninja**.

That said, Naruto still had other concerns about all of this.

"Is this really allowed? I'd be leaving school, and acting on my own."

This world was a lot more strict about people's movements than his old one.

Jin shook his head. "You're a special case. Your classmates are too. There is a practical exam to judge whether you belong here or not, but another way to prove your skills is through your personal work. This depends on the talent, but for you that can include jobs like this. The school will provide you with enough freedom for something like that. It will help you with your standing here."

Naruto already figured as much. After all, all the weapons Tengan got for him weren't exactly legal. But because he was an **Ultimate** , he was given the luxury of having them whereas a normal person would have been arrested.

It truly was a double standard of the highest order.

"Essentially, we are willing to pay you for this," Fuhito said. "I'm sure that will make you happy, correct?"

It wasn't an issue of money, but it was definitely a plus. Depending on the amount, he could finally have enough to pay back Tengan for the laptop. It was small compared to everything else the man had done for him, but it was a start.

However, Naruto had another issue to confront here.

"I don't mind giving you a hand, headmaster, especially after you bailed me out with the police before. But I have some other questions I need answered before I can accept."

Fuhito looked a bit annoyed now. "How dare you? Just who do you think you are? We don't have time to waste on this-!"

"Stop." Jin fixed his father with a glare. "I already told you this wasn't your decision to make."

Fuhito returned the glare. It was the first time he looked truly vexed.

"You've forgotten everything I taught you, haven't you?"

"I still remember a thing or two sadly." Jin turned back to Naruto. "What are these questions that you have, Uzumaki-kun? If I can answer them, then I will."

Good.

Naruto made himself more comfortable in the sofa.

"You might want to ask your dad to step out for this. It does have to do with Hope's Peak Academy's ambition, after all."

Naruto's words made Jin freeze up, if only for a moment.

"What did you….?"

Naruto schooled his features. "Yes. You heard me the first time."

Jin was left stunned while Fuhito was confused.

"What is this? What is he talking about?"

Jin stared hard at Naruto for a moment or so before looking at his father.

"If you would be so kind as to give us a minute. There is something I need to discuss with him alone."

Fuhito clearly wasn't happy about this, but he didn't argue it. Instead, he just stood up and left. Arguing would just waste more time anyway.

Satisfied that they were alone now, Jin fixed all of his attention on the blond before him.

"You were saying?"

Now they were getting somewhere.

* * *

There was a tense silence in the office. It was expected, as Naruto just finished explaining his reasoning for wanting to know about this so called "ambition" the school had, most notably that meeting he was called into yesterday.

It seems as though the headmaster had no idea that that had happened. Which meant that the school he supposedly ran had acted behind his back. This opened a can of worms Naruto really didn't want to deal with, but it didn't look like he had a choice in the matter.

But first things first.

"I'm surprised it took them this long to approach you," Jin said at last. "They must have been really taking their time with your data." He looked mentally exhausted, and no one could blame him for it. He was worried sick about his daughter, and now he had to deal with this. Being headmaster was not easy at all.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he petted Kurama who was now on his lap.

"So you knew they would at some point?"

And who was "they"?

"I did. After they performed those tests on you, it was only natural that they would seek you out."

Naruto didn't get it. "I know I'm strong, but it's not like I'm the only one. Peko-chan and Nekomaru can totally hold their own against me. I don't see why they would single me out."

There were probably other **Ultimates** in the school he hadn't met yet that could fight too.

Jin sighed. "It's not about your physical abilities, Uzumaki-kun. It's something far more potent than that. Your blood."

His blood? Oh yeah, they had taken a sample of that, hadn't they? Naruto hadn't really given it much thought. Why would he? It was just blood.

But now apparently it was important? What the hell?

"You don't understand how valuable your blood is, do you?" Jin didn't even need to ask. He could see it all over Naruto's face that he didn't.

Naruto shrugged. "I mean. It's blood. Everyone has it."

At least, they should.

"Not your type of blood."

What?

Jin asked, "Tell me something, Uzumaki-kun. Do you know your heritage? Anything at all?"

His heritage?

Naruto thought about it, being careful to choose his words here. He didn't want to give out any accidental information that he might later regret.

"My dad didn't belong to any special clan in our village. He was a real genius, though. Said to be one of the strongest ninja our village ever produced. But I'm pretty I'm already stronger than him."

Or, he was. For sure.

Jin sweatdropped at that last part. 'He sure likes to brag, doesn't he?'

It was funny, though. There was clear respect in Naruto's voice when speaking of his father, so Jin didn't dwell on it. After all, most children wanted to surpass their parents in one way or another. Jin had been no exception to that.

"And my mom was….."

Naruto stopped here, his brain finally recalling that crucial information.

Kushina had been a different case from Minato. She didn't go into specifics, but he remembered that she said something about their longevity. Their bodies were different from the norm. That's why she had been chosen as Kurama's jinchuriki. It's why he had also been a perfect fit.

But wasn't that because of their special chakra? Naruto didn't have his chakra anymore, so shouldn't his body lose that special trait? Or was it more inherent than that? Or was there something else going on here?

'I think I'm missing something here.'

This was troublesome.

'The boy knows something.' It was that feeling again, like when they first met in the police station. Jin could see there was definitely more to this boy than he was letting on. Tengan knew it too, but the former headmaster had a different objective from him.

At any rate, the secret here lied with the boy's mother and whatever background she had. Jin couldn't speculate further than that, though. Not without more information, but the boy didn't look like he was going to say more.

A pity, but they needed to move on.

"I don't know the full details, Uzumaki-kun, but it appears as though your body can be the key to a…...higher activation."

Coming out of his thoughts, Naruto gave the headmaster a strange look.

"What does that mean?"

"Tell me. Have you ever gotten sick before?"

Naruto hadn't.

Jin continued. "What kind of diet do you have? Do you eat ramen every morning? Even the best of athletes have to watch the food they eat, you know."

So the old man had been talking, huh. Not surprising, but Naruto didn't see the point here.

"What are you getting at? What does it matter what I eat?"

Jin decided to stop beating around the bush.

"My point is this. You are quite literally the most healthy person on this planet. You could even say you're a medical miracle. I'm no expert on this, but it's as if though your very cells are activated to another degree. Like they're being powered by something else. Something not found in other humans."

That's the best Jin could do with his description. He had seen the initial reports after the researchers started to go through Naruto's blood. Even he, who was no expert on this field, had to marvel the state Naruto's body was in. It was like his cells were working overtime. It wasn't normal. The amount of energy they used up would be enough to kill any other person. This included other **Ultimates**.

The research was still fresh, but many were suspecting that this was the key to Naruto's physical abilities. Of course, they weren't interested in Naruto's abilities per say. No, what they wanted was what _allowed_ him to have these abilities.

In other words, his biological makeup. Jin still didn't know what they intended to use it for exactly, just that it would probably go to _that_ project in some way.

There was one problem, though. The researchers just couldn't take more samples from Naruto without his say so. Hope's Peak Academy held much political power, this was true. But they weren't infallible. Performing human experiments without consent was not something the researchers could do without getting into hot waters. The steering committee was well aware of this too. Which is why they were biding their time, probably to win Naruto over so that he would volunteer.

That's what they were doing with the applicants in the Reserve Course as well. From what Jin recalled, they had narrowed their choices down to two. What came after that…...well.

He didn't want to think about that right now.

"The school's ambition, the purpose behind its founding, deals with creating artificial talent," Jin stated, moving forward with the conversation. "That's why the **Ultimates** are gathered and studied here. The school believes that creating this artificial talent will lead the world to greater hope. You could say it's the ultimate hope. I'm not exactly sure how the researchers think your genetics will help, but I can assure you that they have a plan in mind."

Maybe Jin was saying too much, but he knew the boy would find out sooner or later. Best to just get it out of the way now while the waters were still calm.

As for Naruto, he contemplated all of this. Just like before, with Jin's granddaughter and the situation she was in, this was a lot of information to take in. He needed time to process this and think about it more clearly.

One thing he was sure of was that he needed to know more about this project, but would Jin offer more information? Naruto didn't know, but now wasn't the time to make any decisions. Processing what he already knew came first.

That, and making sure he kept the headmaster close. Just in case.

Good thing he already had one good way of doing that.

Naruto turned his focus back on the headmaster.

"So about this mission of yours."

* * *

Jun was having a grand old time by himself, just like he liked it. Sure he hadn't slept in over 36 hours, and his clothes were starting to smell. But it was still a very comfortable environment, in his humble opinion. He had all his inventions, after all, as well as his lab.

What more could a man want?

"Heeeeeeyyyy! Jun! You in here? I know we haven't talked in a while, but you still remember me, right?"

Sadly, Jun did recognize that voice very well.

"What the hell?" He raised his head away from his computer, his face irritated. He glanced to the entrance to his lab to see none other than Naruto happily making his way in, like he owned the place or something.

How annoying.

Naruto quickly spotted him, and stalked his way over to him.

"Ah, you're still alive! Good. I was starting to get worried."

Jun noticed that the blond was carrying something. It looked like a bento. But that didn't matter. What did matter was-wait, did the blond have a fox on his head?

What the fuck?

"How you been?" Naruto was grinning widely as he stopped next to Jun and his workstation. "Still working with this junk I see."

Jun felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"Uzumaki. What are you doing here?"

He was sure he would never see the boy again. They no longer had any business together, right? Or did the so-call ninja have something else to bug him about?

"I've come with a little gift." Naruto placed the bento on the boy's desk. "I'm guessing you haven't had breakfast yet, right? It's from the **Ultimate Cook** , so you know it'll be great."

A gift? Jun didn't bother hiding his surprise.

"Thanks?"

What was this about?

Naruto looked up at the massive machine that stood in the center of the lab. It was that air purifier thing, right? It still looked freaky in Naruto's mind.

"How's your experiment coming along? Any progress?"

Jun gave the bento a side glance before addressing Naruto's question.

"There is, yes. I'm sure I will have more concrete results in the coming months."

"Cool, cool. I still don't get a single thing about your work, though."

Jun didn't doubt that.

"What are you doing here, Uzumaki? Do you have another experiment you want me to work on or something?"

Naruto chuckled. "Nah, nothing like that. I've pretty much already put my physics days behind me."

That…..Jun didn't know what to say to that. But whatever. It wasn't important.

"Then what do you want?"

Naruto tilted his head in slight confusion. "What? I can't drop by and say hi? I know we only talked that one time, but you still helped me out. I'm grateful for that."

"I only 'helped you out' as you put it, so that you would leave me alone faster. And in the end, I wasn't able to do anything about your…..situation."

Whatever that was. Jun would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit curious as to why the blond wanted to know about multi-dimensional travel, but it wasn't worth asking. He had more important stuff to worry about.

"Hmm, yeah. You didn't exactly give me the answer I was hoping for." Naruto then shrugged. "But what can you do? It is what it is. And regardless of your reason, you still helped me. I never gave you my thanks for that."

"So what? Is this bento supposed to be your thanks?"

"Not really. Just an ice breaker. You definitely can use some good food in your life."

True enough, Jun hadn't had a meal in over a day. He was a workaholic like that, and the bento did smell nice.

"T'ch, whatever. I'm too hungry to say no. That's the only reason I'm taking this."

Naruto laughed at his answer. "Ahahahaha, you're really blunt, aren't you?"

"What gave you that idea?"

And sarcastic too. Nice combo.

Naruto didn't mind it. "Well, I don't know what I can do for you right now, but I'll definitely make sure to repay the favor some day."

Jun sighed. This was getting really annoying.

"Really, when did I ever say I needed something in return? Despite my common sense, I offered to help you. And like I said, I wasn't really able to do anything in the end. I only offered up a negative answer. That can hardly be called helpful."

"There are different ways to help someone." Naruto smiled a little. "You may not realize it, but I sort of needed to hear what you had to say. I don't think I could have moved on if I hadn't come to you. I'd probably still be stressing out over something pointless. That's why I'm thankful, even if you don't want me to be."

This guy. Just how oblivious could he be?

Scowling, Jun turned away. "Whatever. Do as you like. It's got nothing to do with me."

"You're not really sociable, are you?"

What gave him that idea?

"It's been a busy month for me, but when I come back I'll make sure to drag you out of here for some fun. Make sure not to die from overworking before then!"

When he came back? Was he going somewhere?

Jun didn't bother asking. Too troublesome to do so. He didn't think Naruto was expecting him to, though, as he heard the blond walk off soon after.

'He's an idiot.'

That's all Jun had to say about all of this. It didn't stop him from feeling happy when he opened the bento, though.

For the **Ultimate Physicist** , it was quite a new experience. He often just ate whatever was the quickest, which was basically junk food. He didn't know how to cook, and he was far too focused in his experiments to get anything else.

Naruto's desire to thank him was definitely tiresome and unwarranted, but there was no harm in accepting the gesture.

Right?

He wasn't conscious of it, but Jun's day was just a little bit brighter after that.

* * *

"Ah, there you are. I've been looking for you."

Naruto was more than a little surprise to find Mahiru waiting for him outside of the physics lab. It was still before class, so no one really knew where he was or what he was up to. But that wasn't why he was so surprised.

"Mahiru, what's up? Did you need something?"

The girl seemed to hesitate, and he swore he saw her cheeks reddened a little.

'Ah, this must be about yesterday.'

Naruto didn't expect Mahiru to be the one to approach him, though. Not with the way she had ran away yesterday. He couldn't blame her reaction, though. What happened yesterday was beyond embarrassing, and he was sure the girl regretted doing all of that.

"If you're here about yesterday, then don't worry." Naruto tried to reassure her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know that's not how you normally act, and if you're angry with me I understand."

Doing that sort of thing with the person you didn't like…..it was bound to make anyone angry.

Mahiru saw this coming a mile away.

'He really is an idiot.'

But a lovable idiot. Wait, no. Forget that lovable part.

Really, forget about it. It was too embarrassing.

"I'm not angry with you," she said with a small defeated sigh. "I know it wasn't your fault. If anything, I should be the one to apologize."

She might have feelings for him, but Mahiru had no idea where the boy stood in all of this. Really, that's what she wanted to know first. Was he even remotely interested in her?

…...god, this was embarrassing to think about. Mahiru was already starting to get cold feet. What was she even doing here!?

Naruto just felt relieved. "Oh, that's good to hear. When you ran away yesterday, I thought it was because you were angry with me. I didn't want you to start hating me over this."

Hate him? It was the total opposite of that!

Locking her hands behind her back, Mahiru averted her gaze as her blush got stronger.

"N-No, it's not like that. I'm sorry if I made you worry…."

Hmmm. Something wasn't right here. Naruto didn't know what it was, but Mahiru wasn't usually this…..timid. That was Mikan's thing.

Maybe he was just overthinking this.

"Nah, it's totally cool. But you don't need to apologize either. It was nice, to have you next to me like that."

Ah, having no filter. Was it a bad thing? Or was it good? It was hard to say, but in that moment there was no denying that it did more good than Naruto could possibly realize. He did see Mahiru turning redder than he'd ever thought possible, though.

Was she okay?

"Y-Yes, um. T-That's good t-to know…...y-yes. Good. Definitely. Um. Yes."

Mahiru's brain was totally fried from her embarrassment. She couldn't even snap back at the boy or call him a pervert or anything. It was her usual shtick, but she was totally tongue-tied.

Damn him.

"Well, I need to apologize to Mikan too." Not noticing her state of distress, Naruto continued with the conversation. "I don't want her to get a misunderstanding about this."

At the mention of the nurse, Mahiru was able to come to her senses.

"Yes, Tsumiki…."

This was something Mahiru had been thinking about after her conversation with Sato yesterday. In the panicked state she had been, she hadn't stopped to contemplate Mikan's actions. Did the girl also have feelings for the dense blond? Or was she just caught up in the moment? Mahiru was too afraid to confront her, though, so all she could do was wonder.

But if she also liked him….what would Mahiru do then?

"There's also something I want to talk to you guys about." Mahiru followed the boy, the two heading back downstairs to their classroom. For now, the redhead would leave the question unanswered and focus on the present.

"Is it something bad?"

"No, not really. You'll see."

Alright, she had enough patience for that.

* * *

When they got to the classroom, they were met with a bizarre, if not amusing, scene playing out before them.

The others were already there, and as it turns out Koichi had some grievances he needed to let out. And who was he letting them out on? Well, none other than Hiyoko of course.

"You little brat, do you have no idea what you put me through?"

Hiyoko was hiding behind the podium while Koichi stood on the other side, trying to get at her. His face showed nothing but malicious intentions toward the girl.

"Getting drugged like that ain't fun!"

Hiyoko stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever! I already apologized for that!"

"Not to me you haven't!"

"That's because I don't want to apologize to you."

"What did you say!?"

Kazuichi's face was blank as he stared at the two. "How can they have so much energy in the morning?"

He had gone to bed early last night, and he was _still_ exhausted from going through that whole fiasco.

Nekomaru shrugged. He felt pretty much the same. "Beats me."

"Huh? What are you saying?" Koichi shot them a small grin. "It isn't my first time feeling like that, ya know? I'm not like you brats. Your teacher has full on experience!"

Hiyoko blanched. "How can you even say something like that? Are you sure you're a teacher? Disgusting."

"Why you-!"

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" No longer able to keep quiet, Mahiru marched over to the man. "How can you attack one of your students like that!?"

Even if she was also sort of annoyed with Hiyoko, Mahiru wasn't the type to keep quiet about stuff like this.

"Ugh, Mahiru-chan!" Koichi felt powerless when faced with the girl's glare. "I didn't know you were here!"

Not a good excuse, old man.

"Ah, Big Bro! Big Sis!" Hiyoko's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over to Naruto. "You gotta help me! This guy is crazy I'm telling you!"

"More like rightfully angry!"

"Will you be quiet already?" Chiaki looked up from her game just for a second, but it was enough to give the man a glare. "I want to concentrate, and I don't have the energy to hear you screaming."

Woah. Chiaki was the one giving out the diss? Rare moment indeed. It was so rare that Koichi almost fell to the floor in despair.

"I can't believe it…..even the quiet one hates me."

Such cruelty. What did he ever do to deserve this!?

"T'ch, fucking finally." Fuyuhiko was just about done with everyone as well. "After what happened yesterday, some fucking peace is what we need."

"I-I sort of agree with that," Mikan said while shifting her gaze away from Naruto.

Said blond noticed this, but didn't bring it up. Now wasn't the time.

"Yes, yesterday was definitely a bit _too_ exciting," Nagito said with his usual smile. He was very grateful to Mikan for taking care of him yesterday. The **Ultimates** were definitely glorious!

"What are you brats even saying?" Koichi sighed as he went up to the podium while the **Ultimates** took their assigned seats. "It's not like you had to come in today. Would have saved me some headaches, let me tell you."

Sonia looked somewhat angered by his words. "It might not matter to you, sensei, but we all have a promise together to be in class. We intend to honor that."

So it wasn't just Chiaki that was calling him out today.

Koichi's shoulders sagged in disappointment. "Sonia-chan, I was hoping you would at least show me some respect like you usually do."

This was just painful, man.

Naruto had to shake his head at all of this. What a pitiful teacher they were stuck with.

"Well, whatever." A second later, Koichi returned to his usual laid back self. That's how it always was between them. No matter what they said, he would always recover.

It was annoying.

"All of you brats are here today, so I guess we can have a free period again!"

Did the fact that everyone was here even matter for something like that?

"Boooooo!" Ibuki slammed her hands on her desk repeatedly to emphasize her disappointment. "That's all you ever give us! You're a terrible teacher!"

"Yes, yes. So you brats have told me like a billion times already."

"Then we need to tell you a billion times more!"

Commitment, Ibuki. Nice.

"I don't have the desire to do anything that requires energy here." Koichi just about stumbled his way over to his desk, where he plopped himself down like he usually did. "You brats can understand that, right? Yesterday was a very annoying day."

Hiyoko huffed. "You're just using that as an excuse."

Koichi merely waved her off.

Fuyuhiko scowled. "I wanna kill him."

Behind him, Peko closed her eyes. "I do not want to agree, but…..I do feel the same way as well."

Ryota sighed. "Why are we even surprised? This is the norm for us, isn't it?"

"It's still wrong!" Sonia said, her voice firm. "A teacher is supposed to be more dignified than this!"

Oh yeah, Sonia was definitely being more hard on Koichi now. And she was usually so nice to everyone.

Mahiru nodded in agreement. "That's right, Sonia-san! He's just a lazy bum."

Gundham crossed his arms. "However, there is no need to fret. Even without a guide, we are formidable enough to traverse through this on our own. Nothing can stand in our way."

That was…..oddly motivational. Thank you, Gundham.

"Ya know, I'm only trying to take a nap here. It's not like I'm dead!"

Talking badly about him like this, and to his face no less! Didn't these kids have any manners?

Koichi went unheard by his students who were already conversing among themselves.

'What a bunch of brats.'

He really was stuck with a very troublesome group, wasn't he?

"This is actually a good opportunity." Naruto stood up, which got everyone's attention.

"Oh? What is it this time, Uzumaki-kun?" Teruteru started to comb his hair. "Do you have something amazing to share with us?"

Akane, who was just barely staying awake, said, "Is this about another festival or something?"

Sonia looked excited by the prospect. "That would be very fun, wouldn't it?"

Nekomaru looked at the princess with open curiosity. "You're really energetic today."

Well, Sonia was always energetic. But when over half the class was still droopy from yesterday's events, it was way more noticeable.

Sonia flexed her arm. "It is no trouble for me, Nidai-san! After all, it is as Kizakura-sensei said! Once you have experience with these things, it isn't hard to bounce back up!…..that is the correct phrasing, is it not?"

Kazuichi's eyes widened in alarm. "E-Eh, Miss Sonia. W-What does that mean-"

"Pfft, no. It's not about another festival." Ignoring Kazuichi and his concerned face, Naruto picked up where he had left off. "I'm actually going to be leaving school for a couple of weeks. Maybe more."

His announcement was met with a resounding silence from the others. Once again, Naruto was surprising them all. Only this time, it wasn't in the good way.

"Huh?" Fuyuhiko was the one who broke the silence first. "What the hell are you talking about, you idiot? What's this about all of a sudden?"

Scratching his cheek, Naruto thought about what the best way to explain it to them was.

"Well…..it's something of a mission. I can't really go into too much detail, but it's very important. I decided to accept it, so yeah. I'll be going away for a couple of weeks."

Naruto could see that they were all very disappointed to hear this.

"Oh." Mahiru lowered her head. And just when she had made up her mind to confront her feelings too. Honestly, what terrible timing.

"Booooooo!" Ibuki was quick to express her disapproval again. "That's no fun, Naruto-chan! You can't just leave us like this!"

"Calm down. It's not permanent. It's just something I feel I have to do."

"You really are as free spirited as the wind," Gundham commented.

"Erm. Thanks?"

Was that a compliment? Naruto wasn't sure.

Chiaki pursed her lips. "When are you leaving?"

"In a few hours."

His answer was only met with more dejection. It honestly made Naruto feel bad, but he wasn't budging on his decision. This was all for the future, so while it may suck for now they would hopefully come to understand that one day.

Oh, and there was one other thing, wasn't there?

"There is something else I need to tell you guys…..."

His voice was softer this time, and it made the others all the more concern.

"There's still more?" Teruteru didn't like that at all.

Naruto chuckled. "It's not bad. It's just…..well, when I come back from this mission, there's something important I need to tell you guys."

It was about time he told them just where he truly came from. Just who he really was. This was something else Naruto wasn't budging on. There was no need to keep it from them any longer. He trusted every single one of them, after all.

The others looked among themselves, unsure of what this meant. Only Ryota picked up on the subtle hints, making him realize what this was all about.

'Your secret…..'

Naruto was going to share that with them. It made Ryota's palm sweaty just thinking about it. What was it going to be?

He, like the others, was going to have to wait to find out.

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Peko asked, deciding to be the voice of understanding. "I imagine this was short notice for you too."

"Oh. Yeah. I guess I wouldn't mind some help with the packing."

Sonia nodded, her face firm again. "You can count on us."

Yeah, but like you didn't have to look so serious about this, Sonia. It was just packing.

"I'll make sure to prepare you some snacks for the road!" Teruteru was already running out the classroom as he said this. "That way, you won't forget about me~"

Pfft. As if he could ever forget as someone as weird as Teruteru.

Fuyuhiko got up from his seat with a resigned smile.

"Well, you heard the pervert. Let's make sure this idiot is ready for this so-called mission of his."

Naruto sweatdropped. "I'm grateful, but do you have to say it like that?"

"Hell yeah I do."

You suck.

* * *

Was it wrong to be over friendly with others? Did it come off as manipulative? Or maybe just annoying? How did friendship work in the first place? When did one become "friends" with others exactly?

Monaca had often asked herself these questions. She still didn't have a concise answer for any of them, truth be told. She still acted out her part, of course. Pretended to be the nice girl. She was friendly to the other kids in her class, and she even had some _close friends_ now. Of course, this bond of theirs only formed because they were put together in the same "troublemakers class."

She hated that title. She knew Nagisa, Masaru, Jataro, and Kotoko hated it too. Was it really their fault that they were considered "troublemakers"? It wasn't like they had chosen their circumstances. They hadn't chosen their families.

But they were only kids. As kids, it was their duty to listen to the adults…..right?

Monaca wasn't so sure. The others had expressed some of their doubts as well. Just _why_ did they have to listen to the adults? All they ever did was make their lives more painful. Like they didn't belong in this world. Following people like that…..wasn't it wrong?

But as before, Monaca didn't have a clear answer. She didn't know what to do with these doubts. She simply kept her mask up, always smiling and being friendly to others. She was aware that the others had their own masks too, and in Jataro's case a literal one. They hadn't yet shared their pain with one another, however. But they could sense it. They knew they had all suffered in one way or another.

Monaca didn't very much care for the others, though. In a general sense. She just knew people were going to betray her eventually. Or perhaps even take advantage of her in some way until she was no longer of any use.

That's what her so-called mother had done anyway. Discarded her when she didn't prove useful. It was still painful to think about, but along with the pain there was bitterness and resentment. That resentment also extended to her father and half-brother, who were the main focus of her pain.

But she had her wheelchair at least. It was a good defense, all things considered. It was amazing, how different people act towards you just because they thought you were crippled. Monaca would be lying if she said she didn't take some amount of sadistic pleasure in this.

It wasn't her fault, though. She was sure her more sadistic side was just a byproduct of her environment. In order to survive, she had to be like this. Always looking out for herself. Never trusting others. They were all against her, after all. Every single one of them.

But there was one anomaly that she still couldn't quite figure out just yet. Said anomaly was in the same room with her at this very moment. She also noticed he didn't have his pet fox with him today.

"What's the special occasion, Naruto-kun!? Or did you miss me so much that you had to come see me!?"

Right off the bat Kotoko was clinging to the blond the moment he stepped into their classroom. Monaca didn't understand the source of Kotoko's fondness for the older boy. Sure, he had saved her from getting punched by those idiots. But was that all there was to it?

"Ehehehe, it's nothing special." He was grinning like he always did. Monaca could tell it was genuine. She wondered how that felt, to be that happy. To smile and actually mean it. It was probably amazing. "I just wanted to let you guys now that I'll be leaving today. I won't be back for a couple of weeks. At the very least."

Oh. How interesting. He was going away?

"What!?" Kotoko looked like she had just been physically hit in the gut. "But why? Do you hate it here?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that. I just have a mission I need to complete."

A mission? What sort of mission? Monaca really wanted to ask, but she held herself back. She couldn't lose the persona she had built around herself.

Masaru snorted. "You didn't have to come tell us that, you idiot. We could have figured it out on our own!"

"But Masaru, weren't you the one who said you wanted to see Naruto-san again? Because he was totally cool?" Jataro chimed in. It sounded like he was intentionally trying to call out Masaru on his bald-faced lie, but Monaca knew that wasn't the case. Jataro had the worst social skills among them, which said something since they had Masaru in the mix. He genuinely felt confused by Masaru's lie.

Speaking of the boy, he went red in the face.

"S-Shut up! I never once said that!"

"But you totally did! I remember it too, when we were coming back yesterday. You said Naruto-san was totally cool with the way he fought and everything!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Masaru was one word away from going through with his promise, but Monaca knew he wouldn't follow through. He never did. This was amusing too, in its own way.

Nagisa held his head in shame. "We are sorry about this, Naruto-san. We appreciate the heads up. We hope you have a good mission…..whatever it is."

Hmm. Nagisa. Now he was the most amusing to Monaca from this bunch. His crush on her was…..interesting to say the least. Monaca didn't feel the same way, of course, but there was still something flattering about the whole thing. After being hated for her whole life for merely existing, being sought after did have its appeal. To know someone cared that much about her…..it did make her a bit happy.

But that happiness was also twisted, not the pure emotion that Nagisa felt towards her. Because…..if he loved her, how far would he go to get her? Would he do everything she asked him to, like a slave?

It was fascinating to think about. Ah, but it was also wrong, wasn't it? If Naruto knew what she was thinking…...he wouldn't approve, would he?

But why should Monaca care about that? He was probably like the rest too. Only trying to use her. Maybe that's why he even talked to them in the first place?

"Hahaha, you're really level-headed, aren't you? You remind me of Neji from back in the day."

"H-Hey, don't pat my head! And who's this Neji supposed to be anyway!?"

"Ha! Nagisa is blushing! I guess you like getting head pats too, huh?"

"S-Shut it, Kotoko! That's not true at all!"

"It really looks that way to me."

"You stay out of this too, Jataro!"

"See? Jataro totally speaks out of turn, doesn't he? You need to learn when to keep quiet!"

"Even Masaru hates me….I guess everyone hates me, huh?"

"What are you even saying, Jataro? I don't hate you. But you really gotta do something about that mask."

"The mask is very important, Naruto-san. It's for your protection. Trust me."

"Why do you only sound serious when it comes to that thing? You totally got your priorities mixed up."

Hmm. Monaca was able to see it. The others. They became more relaxed, happy even, when Naruto was around. Even Jataro who claimed that everyone should hate him was happy to be near the blond. It was a strange thing to see. They were nothing like when Monaca first met them.

That made her think. Could she be like them too? Could she relax around him? Have no worries? Be _happy_?

Hope. For the first time in her life, Monaca felt it, even if only slightly. She hoped she could.

And she really hated that she did.

* * *

"I-I gotta help him too…."

That's all Mikan could whisper to herself over and over as she compiled an essential first aid kit in the nurse's office. The school had many great supplies, but she was the one who had made sure to bring in some of the more serious stuff in case of any emergency. She wanted to make sure she was ready to help her friends whenever possible. But now, because of all the inventory she had, she didn't know what to pick out for Naruto.

In the first place, what kind of mission was he going on? Mikan really wanted to know, but he had already refused to say anything when asked. It was probably really important if he was keeping his mouth shut on the issue.

Not that she could have talked to him anyway. Mikan was still too self-conscious over yesterday's events for that. She was surprised she had even come to class today. It was only the promise they made that gave her the courage she needed to be here.

Her body still felt weak when she was near him, though. She was just so afraid that he hated her now. Sonia said that wasn't the case, but Mikan still had her doubts.

'A-Anyway, I should hurry up with this.'

Naruto was going around informing the ones that weren't in their class that he was leaving. That included those kids from the festival, and Ruruka and her friends. After that, he would go back to where he lived to start packing. Mikan needed to have her specialized first aid kit ready before then.

She still didn't know how she was going to hand it to him, but she could worry about that later. Otherwise, she would never get this done.

But fate wasn't kind to her as instead of waiting for her to come to him Naruto was already here.

He stepped into the office, his face relieved when he saw her.

"Good, you're here. I was worried you had gone somewhere else."

Mikan froze where she stood. She hadn't planned for this scenario at all, and so she had no idea how to react. She was sure her heart had stopped too.

"Hm?" Naruto noticed her lack of movement and panicked a little. "Mikan? Are you alright? Mikan!?"

It took some shaking to get her back to her senses, funnily enough.

"Oh man, you really scare me sometimes," Naruto sighed in relief when he saw her moving again.

"U-Um." Mikan had to put some space between them. She twiddled with her fingers. "W-What are you doing here, Naruto-san?" She started to tear up when she began to imagine the worst. "I-I knew it. You couldn't hold it in anymore, and you're here to yell at me, aren't you?"

To say Naruto was confused would be an understatement. What was this girl even saying?

"Yell at you? Why would I yell at you? And you don't have to cry! I really am not going to yell at you!"

Panicking again, Naruto tried to reassure the girl that he definitely wasn't here to yell at her or anything of the sort.

Mikan couldn't believe it.

"W-Why aren't you angry? I did something so terrible to you!"

It was just as Naruto feared. Mikan really was blaming herself over what happened. It was a simple misunderstanding, but he already knew how worked up Mikan could get about these things.

"Mikan, I'm not angry. I don't blame you for what happened, so you shouldn't blame yourself either. We both fell for a prank, it's nothing more than that."

And it wasn't like he had _hated_ it….more like really, really enjoyed it. He was still a guy. But telling her that probably wouldn't help the situation.

Mikan felt like her prayers had been answered. "A-Are you sure?"

Naruto smiled. "Positive."

Mikan almost fell to the floor in gratitude. That's how relieved she felt.

Naruto noticed this and almost laughed. "You really do worry too much, ya know? You should relax a little. We're not going to bite."

Well. Teruteru might. But he was a special case.

Mikan poked her fingers together. "I'm still getting used to all of this…..a-and I don't know I should act sometimes."

Past experiences had taught her to always expect the worst, no matter what she did. That's why she was so afraid.

"Hmmm." Humming, Naruto thought about it for a second. "Alright, how's this. Order me to do something. Whatever you want. I'll do it."

"Eh!?"

What was he saying all of a sudden!?

"Ya know, it's like. A reassurance. That our bond won't break so easily. I want you to understand that. So if you order me to do something, it'll make you understand that I'm not going to cut off our friendship over anything so minor."

Being selfish was okay sometimes. Naruto really believed that.

Mikan could somewhat understand the logic…..if it was to make her feel like they were on an equal footing, then it wasn't a bad idea. But it was still kind of embarrassing. Because…..because!

"A-Anything?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, anything! It's no problem for me at all."

A part of her wondered if this was a trap, but she quickly dismissed that side of her. It was just like Naruto said. She needed to have more faith in their bond. If she couldn't do that, then it was just disrespecting him. Disrespecting the others.

Mikan didn't want that.

Anything she wanted….was it really okay for her to be selfish here? Naruto was telling her it was, but Mikan still felt hesitant. Taking that next step was very scary for her.

But….if she didn't, then she would definitely lose to Sonia. The princess had already made her intentions clear, and Mikan knew she wouldn't hesitate to be selfish with her desire. She needed to learn that too.

Mikan took a step forward in a tentative manner but her mind made up.

"T-Then….could you hug me?"

It was a simple request.

Naruto definitely didn't understand how important this was to her, but he still accepted.

"Alright, if that's what you want."

The moment it happened, Mikan felt that warmth again. It was just like when they were camping, when he first hugged her. There was no doubt about it. It definitely felt like Naruto's whole body was radiating a warmth that could rival the Sun. It was an exaggeration, but Mikan didn't care.

She smiled as she buried her head in his chest. This was the best place in the world, after all.

"I'm going to miss you, Naruto-san."

She wasn't stuttering anymore. She was back to her old self now. Or was it her new self?

Naruto chuckled as he patted her on the head.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

"I really want to kill you. Like, I've already wanted to kill you. Now I just have another reason to add to my list."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Just hand me my mask, will you."

"Listen to me, you blond bastard! I'm serious here! You're already popular with girls. What else do you need!?"

Naruto gave the teary eyed Kazuichi a bored look.

"What are you complaining about now?"

"What else!?" Kazuichi gestured to the room they were in. "This room of yours. It's bigger than the living room at my house!"

Naruto was back at his place, along with some of the others who had asked to come along.

Fuyuhiko, who was also in the room with them, was a bit surprised himself.

"I didn't think you were staying in a place like this."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Ibuki had made a big scene when she had been here too. It wasn't a big deal.

"It's not important, alright? It only happened because of some annoying circumstances."

"Annoying?" Kazuichi grumbled. "If they led you to live here, then I want to be in some annoying circumstances too."

Yeah? Like leaving behind everything and everyone you loved and cherished?

Naruto didn't say this, though. It wasn't like Kazuichi could understand his situation, so he didn't blame him for his reaction.

"Whatever. Just hand me the mask already."

Still grumbling, Kazuichi did as asked.

As Naruto got the last of his clothes in his bag, Fuyuhiko spoke up.

"So it's only going to be for a couple of weeks?"

Hm?

"Maybe. It isn't really specific."

Naruto was going to get more details as soon as he got there.

Fuyuhiko frowned. He wasn't satisfied with that answer, but it wasn't like he could do much about it.

"I don't know what you're getting into, but don't hesitate to call me. Got it? I'll send the whole clan if I have to."

Naruto almost laughed. "Seriously? I think that's a bit of an overreaction."

"T'ch, you know what I mean."

Naruto did. And he appreciated it.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to die or anything. I still have a lot of other things I need to do before that happens."

"Yeah, like whatever you're going to tell us when you come back," Kazuichi said, a hand on his cap. "It sounds important, so you better not leave us in the dark with that."

"Yeah. I promise."

The three were getting ready to leave the room but were stopped when Hiyoko suddenly made her way inside.

"Are you guys done yet?" She glared at Kazuichi. "You're not the only ones who want to say goodbye, you know."

"W-Why are you only glaring at me!?" Kazuichi cried out in dismay.

"Huh? It's because your face is stressing me out."

What the hell did that mean!?

Fuyuhiko smirked. "Let it go. She probably needs to talk to the idiot about something."

"At least someone here gets it. Now scram."

It was funny, to have someone else kick people out of your room. Especially when Kazuichi was sulking as Fuyuhiko pushed him out.

Crossing his arms, Naruto looked at the dancer.

"So? Are you really here just to say your goodbye?"

Fidgeting a little, Hiyoko lowered her head. "I-It's not just that, no."

This was the first time she was in a boy's room. Not just that, but she was also alone with said boy in his room.

It was kind of embarrassing, but it wasn't why she was so nervous. Honestly, today wasn't the day for that kind of thinking!

"I-I actually just got word that I will be performing again in two weeks," Hiyoko said, still fidgeting. It wasn't like her to be this way, but she couldn't it. This was going to be a first for her. "S-So. You know. If you're back from your mission by then, and you wanted to come…..I-I wouldn't be against it!"

This was the true source of her embarrassment. It was the first time she was inviting someone to come see her dance. Well, she had tried to invite her father once, but her grandmother had told her no, seeing the man as a "bad influence."

But that was a different story for a different time.

To a normal person, Hiyoko's "invitation" might not seem as one, but Naruto understood her well enough to know that this was just the way she was.

Smiling, he knelt down in front of her while placing a hand over her head.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be there. You have my word. And I never break any promise I make."

The way Hiyoko's face lit up was all the reassurance Naruto needed that he had answered correctly. When she hugged him, it was just a bonus.

Two weeks, huh. Looks like he now had a time limit on this mission.

* * *

'So I'm in one of these things again.'

Naruto found himself staring out the window of the car he was in. He was out of his uniform, and was now wearing black sweatpants and an orange hoodie.

He still wasn't fully used to these contraptions known as cars since he hadn't been in them that many times, but the experience wasn't as bad as before at least.

He was once again seeing the many different sights the city had to offer. Most of his time in this new world had been spent at Hope's Peak Academy, so this was going to be a really interesting experience for him. Going to a new part of the country and all.

That had been another reason why he had accepted the headmaster's request. It was a way for him to see more of the world.

'I hope Kurama will be okay.'

Thankfully, there was nothing to fear there. Gundham was looking out after the little fox, after all. There was no one more reliable than the **Ultimate Breeder** in situations like this.

"Enjoying the ride, are we? Really carefree attitude you have there."

Oh yeah. He wasn't alone. Sitting in the backseat next to him was the geezer from before, the headmaster's father. Naruto didn't know why the old man wanted to be the one to accompany him to this "airport" place, but here he was.

"You have a very important mission ahead of you," Fuhito said, his face disapproving. "The least you could do is act more professionally."

This geezer.

"I have a lot on my mind right now." Naruto fell back on his seat and away from the window. "If I look carefree, it's because my head is full of thoughts."

"Ha, I wonder what someone like you has to worry about. But then again, it's not like I know all that much about you. No one really does."

Naruto had to frown. "Are you trying to say something here?"

"Not at all. Just be aware of the reason why my foolish son picked you. I disagree with him, but it's not like he had many options. Not with all the wolves trying to crawl to his position."

Naruto already suspected that. The headmaster probably saw him as a neutral party that wouldn't try to take advantage of the situation. That, and combined with his skills, he was the perfect choice for this assignment.

It also told him something else, something he had been starting to suspect lately.

Hope's Peak Academy really wasn't the nice place he thought it was.

Silence carried through for the rest of the drive. It took them around ten more minutes before they reached this so-called airport. Only they weren't going to use one of the normal airplanes apparently. No, Naruto was going to be traveling in something called a private jet.

The blond was really fascinated by all of this. It was just another new experience for him. These planes were really incredible. Flying through the sky like that. However, he couldn't let himself fanboy too much. He had to keep his mind here and now. Anything could happen, and he wasn't going to let himself be caught off guard if he could help it.

The car stopped by one of the hangars in the airport where the private jet was waiting for Naruto. There was someone else already there waiting for them.

Naruto, bags in hand, got out of the car with Fuhito following suit. As soon as they did, the person quickly approached them.

It was a girl. Naruto guessed she was a couple years younger than him. She was wearing some kind of weird outfit that he only later recognized as a maid outfit thanks to all those magazines Teruteru and Kazuichi had shown him.

The girl was pale and thin, with pale, sandy blonde hair with a green tint and long bangs that obscured her left eye. She was definitely cute, but she had an air of firmness to her. Sort of like Peko.

She bowed the instant she stood before them.

"Welcome, Uzumaki-sama. Kirigiri-sama. I have been expecting you."

Uzumaki- _sama_?

Naruto was lost. "Um. Who are you?"

The girl stood up straight.

"My name is Tojo Kirumi. I have been assigned as your personal aid during your mission. It's a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

 **Were you surprised? You were totally surprised!**

 **Long chapter, but it can't be helped. Next update probably won't be as quick. I'll just leave this little cliffhanger here and be on my way.**

 **Make sure to review and give me your love!….god, I'm turning into Monokuma.**

 **Till next time.**


	24. The Ultimate Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23:  
** **The Ultimate Mission**

He was flying. He was actually in the air right now, flying like a bird. The best part was that he didn't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Just how could technology be this amazing!?

It was clear that this was quite an experience for Naruto, to be riding one of these so-called jet planes. It was almost surreal. Naruto had once joked about wanting to walk on air, but in this dimension people had already made that a reality!

Well, sort of. It wasn't _walking_ per se. But it was close enough.

At first, Naruto had to hold on to his seat for dear life as the jet took off from the runaway of the so-called airport. He had been caught off guard by the jet's speed if he was being honest. It was definitely much faster than any of the cars he had ridden. And then, to suddenly be in the air like a bird soaring through the sky, with the clouds showing through his window.

It almost made him cry.

'Jets are awesome!'

He wanted to fanboy more about the machine he was in, but sadly he had to come back to reality as the girl from before came walking up to him with a food cart in tow. Naruto still had many questions about her, but he hadn't been able to ask her anything before he was rushed on board.

Fuhito had been _kind_ enough to give him some parting words before takeoff.

" _Don't screw this up, boy. And stay out of my granddaughter's way. Understood?"_

That man was just a bundle of joy, wasn't he? Naruto couldn't see how he and the headmaster were related at all. Maybe he shouldn't be thinking that, though. It wasn't like he knew the headmaster all that well to make any sort of character judgement on him.

Anyway, that was a topic for another time. Maid first, old man later.

"I hope everything is to your liking, Uzumaki-sama." The girl, Kirumi, bowed as she stopped next to his seat. She placed a tea cup on his tray table, followed by a slice of a delicious looking cake. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. I am ready to serve."

That just made Naruto nervous. He wasn't used to this type of treatment. There was no one on board but the two of them and the pilots, so it definitely felt like he was getting special treatment or something.

"No, I'm good. I'm just sort of confused about what you said before, about being my aid. Did I hear that right?"

What was that about? The headmaster hadn't mentioned anything about it. Naruto didn't like to be surprised like this, especially on an important mission like this.

Folding her hands across her stomach, Kirumi smiled. "Yes. To be more specific, I am your personal maid during the duration of your mission. Not to worry, I will make sure to not slow you down. I've already been informed of your task, and I am ready to help with whatever you need."

That….only left Naruto with more questions than answers.

"Who hired you?"

Cause it sure as hell wasn't him.

"Oh, I see." Kirumi seemed to understand his confusion now. "It seems the headmaster did not inform you of me. He must have been pressed for time."

Yeah, that much should have been obvious. It concerned his daughter, so it wasn't like Naruto could blame the man. But still. _Some_ details would have been nice.

Nodding, Kirumi said, "Then I believe another introduction is in order, to better explain the situation."

That would be helpful.

"I am Tojo Kirumi. I was hired to serve Akira-sama around ten months ago. In case you weren't aware, Akira-sama is the one who hired Kirigiri-sama to solve the murder of his son and prove his children's innocence. However, given recent events, he wanted more insurance on this job. To make sure everything goes smoothly. That is why I am here."

If Naruto had anymore pride, then he would be insulted that his employer didn't trust him to handle this by himself. But really, that was the least of his concerns right now. And it wasn't like he was working directly under him either. He was here because the headmaster wanted him to be.

"So you're a maid?"

And she was going to help him? How exactly?

Kirumi sensed his confusion, but her face didn't budge. "Yes. I am well-versed in all types of combat, if it should come to that. But that is not the reason why Akira-sama wanted me to join you."

Oh?

"I believe he can explain it better than I can."

The so-called maid retrieved a phone from her pocket and placed it on the tray table. It was already making a call.

"He wanted to speak to you," Kirumi said. "This is as good a time as any I suppose."

Naruto wasn't able to respond as a moment later the call was answered.

" _Good afternoon. Am I right to assume I'm speaking to Uzumaki Naruto?"_

The phone was on speaker mode. The voice was that of a man's. Definitely older.

So this was Kirumi's boss, eh?

"Yeah. That's me."

" _Excellent. I apologize for how sudden all of this is. But considering everything that has happened, I am sure you can understand."_

Yeah, Naruto did.

" _My name is Akira Hayama. I am the man who hired the Kirigiri family to investigate the murder of my son. I wish our talk was under different circumstances, but life has a way of making things complicated."_

Naruto already knew the man's name. Akira Hayama. A self-made entrepreneur was the simplest way of describing him. The headmaster had explained to the blond how the man had risen from his very poor roots to become one of the wealthiest men in all of Japan. He owned all sorts of businesses, both in the country and abroad. And it was because of all that wealth that he was now in a bind.

" _I'm not sure how much the headmaster filled you in, but I would like to clarify one thing. No matter what their detective says, I am confident that none of my other children are involved in this murder. I have made many enemies of the year. It is more likely that one of them is trying to get back at me."_

Wow. He just came out and said it so quickly. He was desperate. Naruto could tell that much. Unfortunately, the blond didn't have any strong opinions on this. For one thing, he had no idea what clues the headmaster's daughter had been able to discover during her investigation. Nor did he know the personalities of Hayama's children. He was totally out of the loop here.

" _I believe the headmaster hired you under different pretenses. However, I want to make use of your services as well. That is why I wanted to speak to you now. Not to worry, I am certain this won't conflict with your original mission."_

Is that so? Well, Naruto was no gambling man, but he already had a pretty good idea what the man wanted from him.

" _Uzumaki-san, I want you to carry out your own personal investigation while you're here. I want you to prove my children's innocence."_

There it was. The cherry on top of this mess of a cake.

" _I hope you have no problems with this?"_

Problems? Naruto had plenty of problems, and he wasn't afraid to voice them.

"I'm not a detective, you know. And this Kirigiri girl is apparently one of the best. If she thinks one of your children is involved, then….."

What could he do about it? This wasn't Naruto's territory. Sure, he could be sneaky when he wanted to be. But espionage? That was more of Jiraiya's thing. Naruto had never bothered to learn the more subtle arts of a shinobi.

But maybe he could expand on that now?

Hayama spoke again.

" _I know how this makes me look, Uzumaki-san. You're free to think of me as a foolish old man if you want. Believe me, I already think of myself as such. But I still want to have faith in my children. To hope. I want to believe that they haven't fallen so low."_

Hope, huh. What a double edged sword that was.

Naruto wasn't judging the man. Not in the slightest. He was merely a doting father. He had already lost one child. He didn't want to lose another.

Still, common sense told Naruto that accepting the man's mission was pretty stupid. It was basically already confirmed that one of his other children was behind this. The bombing was all the proof that Naruto needed, personally. It showed that the headmaster's daughter was on the right track. Someone was feeling pressured, and they wanted her out.

Naruto couldn't turn down the request, though. Not if he wanted to keep his peace of mind intact.

"I can't make you any promises, but I'll still do my best, gramps."

Naruto could almost see the relief flooding through the phone.

" _I see. You have my thanks, Uzumaki-san. You've made a foolish old man very happy."_

Hm.

" _Now then. I will leave Kirumi to fill you in on the rest. She is the one person I trust the most right now. I hope to meet you soon, Uzumaki-san. Until tonight."_

The call then ended, and Kirumi retrieved the phone before pocketing it again.

"You have my thanks as well, Uzumaki-sama," she said as she bowed again. "My master is under much stress from these recent events. Your acceptance has given him enough hope to continue forward."

Yeah, but was that really a good thing? Even if he did look into the case, would anything really change? By giving him this extra hope, wasn't Naruto only making things worse when it was snatched away from him?

Naruto didn't really know the answers to these questions to be honest. Maybe by the end of this mission he would. But as of this moment, he was just as ignorant as everyone else involved.

The private jet continued on its way.

* * *

It took the private jet a couple of more hours before reaching its destination. And even then, Naruto's journey wasn't finished just yet.

"An island?"

Naruto didn't bother to hide his surprise as he now sat in a black SUV with Kirumi next to him. The car had already been waiting for them after they landed. They were in the southern part of the country apparently. Kyushu to be exact. That's what this area was called anyway.

"Yes. Akira-sama owns a private island just off the coast," Kirumi explained, her hands placed gently on her lap. "It's not very far really. But the only way to get to it is by boat. Of course, we can't have you arriving through the main entrance. We'll use one of the smaller docks on the far side of the island. This will help with your cover."

Naruto wasn't looking forward to that.

"A butler…."

That was meant to be his cover during his stay on the island.

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with this?"

Of course he did! Being a butler wasn't exactly one of Naruto's dreams or anything. It was practically one of the worst jobs out there!

…..no disrespect to any butler currently reading this.

Naruto brushed it off. "Whatever. Just tell me about this party again."

Ah, yes. The whole reason they were even going to this private island in the first place.

Kirumi wanted to voice her concern about his disdain toward the butler profession, but she kept her mind focused on the mission.

"It's an annual event. Akira-sama hosts a party for all his friends and associates to come together once a year. You could almost say it's for networking."

Yeah, Naruto had already seen something similar with Fuyuhiko's clan.

"Originally, Akira-sama was supposed to announce his main successor during this year's party, as he feels like he might not make it to next year." The way she said that so casually…..weird. "His son's murder was just bad timing."

Bad timing? Not the way he would have phrased it, but okay.

Naruto crossed his arms and looked out the window. The city they were in didn't have the huge skyscrapers like where Hope's Peak was. It made Naruto feel more at ease. This setting was far more familiar to him.

Now if he only wasn't in a car.

"Why doesn't he just cancel the party?"

Kirumi closed her eyes. "He almost did. However, he came to the conclusion that he could use the party as bait, a perfect trap to lure out his son's killer if you will. With so many people around, it could embolden the criminal and make him slip up."

Maybe. Or it could make things even more complicated. If something did happen, the number of suspects would only go up.

'I hope this detective girl is good.'

Or they might just be in for a tough time.

* * *

The island was beautiful. Exotic even. The mansion that towered from the center was impressive, if not overbearing. Naruto wasn't one to care about stuff like that, so his opinion was definitely unpopular. Nevertheless, even he could admit that the mansion did look amazing.

Just as Kirumi had said, they took a boat to one of the smaller docks on the far end of the island where employees and supplies made their way through. The boat was a familiar means of transportation for the blond, so there was that.

"The guests will start arriving tonight," Kirumi told him as the two got closer to the mansion. The teens weren't so alone this time, however. Many other staff members had arrived on the island with them. It was the final group which was scheduled to work during the party, as opposed to the normal staff who were already on site. This would further help solidify Naruto's cover in case someone decided to look into him.

"The party lasts three days. Some choose to stay on the island while others have hotels on the mainland. It's up to the individual."

Naruto was only half-listening to her. The other half of his attention was on the other employees with them. It was probably a long shot, but could one of them be working with the killer? He couldn't rule out that possibility. Hayama had already confessed that the only person he trusted was Kirumi, which really only made this whole thing even more pointless.

'That's just admitting that you think your children are guilty, gramps.'

The man probably wasn't aware of it. Or if he was, he was trying not to think about it.

Such a complicated father.

It didn't take long for the group to arrive at the mansion. It was even more impressive looking now that Naruto was this close to it. It had five floors and stretched out pretty widely. According to Kirumi, there were close to a hundred rooms in the mansion.

What a waste of space.

His sour opinion aside, this was going to be his "home" for the next several days. Maybe even longer, depending on whether or not they caught the killer by the time the party ended.

"Right this way, Uzumaki-sama."

Kirumi ushered him away from the other employees. He was going to be staying on the second floor, right in the middle of the employee wing where all the staff members slept. These rooms were small and nothing compared to the actual guest rooms, but Naruto was content with that. He was far more comfortable with a room this size than the one he had in Tengan's house, that's for sure.

"I hope everything will be to your liking," Kirumi said as she showed him inside the room. "We tried to make it as comfortable as possible. But as you know, for your cover-"

"It's alright." Naruto dropped his bags on the floor as he took a look around. A twin size bed, a small table next to the only window in the room, a drawer next to the bed, and a closet on the opposite end.

It was more than enough.

"I can make do with this."

Kirumi smiled. "I understand. I appreciate your adaptability."

Adaptability? Did she think he was a rich boy or something?

Well, whatever. He could clear that misunderstanding later. For now, Naruto had other questions for the girl.

"Is the detective girl coming to the party as well?"

She should be, otherwise he wouldn't be here right now. But just in case.

"Yes. Kirigiri-sama will be attending the party as well. But unlike you, she's been welcomed as a guest."

Yikes. Way to rub that one in.

"Well, that's good." Naruto sat on the bed and was surprised by how comfortable it was. He could almost melt right then and there.

'Man, she wasn't kidding.'

The other beds probably weren't this soft and squishy. It was something meant only for him, to make his stay more "comfortable."

How nice.

"If I may ask." Kirumi frowned somewhat. "You are here to guard Kirigiri-sama, are you not?"

Already figured that one out? Or had the headmaster told them?

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just curious. I've only met her a couple of times, but I didn't think she would be the kind of person to need a bodyguard."

Naruto sweatdropped at this. 'Yeah, the headmaster said something similar before.'

If she did find out about his purpose here, it probably wouldn't end well for him. He could already picture the girl glaring at him in disdain after knowing. She probably had the same eyes as her father.

How eerie.

"Well, the headmaster thinks it's needed. You know about the bombing, don't you?"

"I do. But it was to my understanding that Kirigiri-sama had taken precautions against such an event. That's why the attempt failed."

Oh? Now Naruto wanted to hear what those precautions were exactly, but unless he asked the girl herself…..

Better not worry about that for now.

Naruto shrugged. "What can I say? He asked me to do it, so here I am."

Kirumi stared at him for a moment or two, which only made Naruto a little uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong? I don't have something on my face, do I?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that," she quickly replied. "I'm just….having a hard time pinning you down, Uzumaki-sama."

What the hell did that mean?

"You seem more easygoing than I had imagined," Kirumi said, answering his unasked question. "A lot more approachable as well."

Oh.

Naruto still didn't get it. "Was I supposed to be a monster or something?"

Chuckling softly, Kirumi shook her head. "Not exactly. However, when the headmaster described you to us, he said you were a hardened warrior. One not to be underestimated. I mean no offense, but I'm having a hard time agreeing with that description."

Well, offense taken.

Nah, just kidding.

"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe I'm just hiding a monster behind this mask."

Kirumi pursed her lips at this. She felt like the blond was making more than just a little joke, but she let it slide.

"I'm sure you want to get some rest before the party begins. There is just one last thing I have to give you."

Oh?

Naruto watched the so-called maid pull out a thick file from the drawer next to the bed.

"We had this arranged for you. It's a complete list of all the guests coming tonight. It also includes information on Akira-sama's children."

Wow. They weren't messing around, were they?

"I thought gramps didn't think his kids were involved?" Naruto questioned as he took the file from Kirumi's hands. It weighed quite a bit.

"It was my suggestion," she answered with a slight bow. "I felt it was necessary that you had a complete picture. It's why I also made sure to include whatever information Kirigiri-sama has given us so far. Now you will know what we know. It will be easier for us to be on the same page. To my delight, Akira-sama agreed."

It was nice to see that the girl could reach the man. Naruto definitely appreciated this, even if it meant that he had to read. But after being in this world for a month now, he was pretty much used to reading. He wasn't a _fan_ per se. He just understood how important information was.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to go through it by tonight."

Kirumi smiled. "Wonderful. I will leave you to it then. I will come to get you when the time is ready. Oh, and your uniform is in the closet. I made sure to prepare you three separate uniforms. Just in case. Don't want to be caught unprepared."

She was really considerate, wasn't she? If Naruto didn't know any better, he would almost call her the ultimate maid. Or something.

With one final bow, Kirumi stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. This left Naruto all alone with his thoughts, and the large file just waiting to be read through.

Standing up, Naruto approached the window to his room. He didn't know if Lady Luck was smiling down on him or what, but he had a pretty good view of the main pathway that led to the mansion from the docks from here.

'Maybe Nagito's luck is starting to rub off on me.'

Lucky him.

'Well, no reason to just sit around.'

It was time to do some exploring. Then, he had some reading to do.

* * *

It didn't take Naruto too long to get acquainted with his new surroundings. The island was much smaller than he'd first thought.

The main structure was the mansion, obviously. But there was a smaller building near the docks where he had arrived. It was some sort of boathouse apparently. Naruto had managed to spot several different boats inside, and other similar crafts. Probably gramps' personal collection.

The main dock was much bigger and fancier than the smaller ones. It was also where the only security on the island was stationed. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. However, given recent events, Naruto was sure Hayama would have wanted more security at least.

'He's taking too many chances.'

Or maybe it was just went back to his distrust of everyone around him. Maybe he couldn't trust a larger security force in fear that the culprit could bribe them somehow.

Naruto couldn't be sure unless he asked the man directly, but that would have to wait. His main priority here was the headmaster's daughter. There were several ways he could go about this, but he still wasn't sure which one to pick. Maybe after he saw her he could be more sure of himself.

Moving on. Other than the docks, there weren't any additional buildings Naruto could find. And past the man-made buildings, there was the forest that made up most of the island. The mansion was practically surrounded by it. It was the perfect cover Naruto could use to move around, but it would also provide many avenues of escape to any intruder.

Talk about troublesome.

After his exploration, Naruto used up the rest of his time reading the file Kirumi had given him to get better acquainted with the guests that were showing up later tonight. It was a long list. Around fifty or so people were showing up, not including Hayama and his family.

This wasn't the full list, though. Not to Naruto anyway. As mentioned earlier, the blond was anticipating the possibility that maybe some of the staff were in on this. To what extent, he couldn't say. Nor could he imagine just who would be in on it. It all depended on what kind of ploy the mastermind intended to use.

'I feel so smart.'

Shikamaru would be proud of him, wouldn't he? Here he was, actively trying to anticipate what the enemy might do.

Even so, Naruto wasn't sure that he was covering all the bases here. Maybe there was something he was missing, something he wasn't thinking of. This sort of thing really wasn't up his alley, after all. But hey, never too late to learn, right?

Good thing he worked better under pressure. And he had a feeling this was going to be a really stressful situation.

* * *

"No, no. You have it all wrong. This button goes here. And your necktie is all wrong. You can't go out looking like this."

Naruto really wanted to die right now.

Kirumi seemed amused. "You can't have that expression on your face. You'll scare the guests. It's unbecoming of a proper butler."

He wasn't a butler, though.

Just as he thought, putting on the clown outfit that was supposed to be his uniform was a pain. Naruto felt like he was cramped while wearing the stupid thing. Not only that, but no matter how hard he tried, he always got something wrong with it. It took Kirumi helping him to finally look "presentable." Whatever that meant.

Stupid uniform. He would burn the damn thing if he could.

Kirumi sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. "I believe I said you should fix that face of yours."

How the hell was he meant to do that!? He only had one face.

"I thought so at first, but you really do look like a delinquent. And are those birthmarks on your cheeks? How odd."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "You're suddenly becoming more rude towards me."

Was that a good thing?

"Ah." Kirumi folded her arms in front of her. The two teens were making their way down to the main room where the guests would be arriving. "My apologies. I meant no disrespect. But since you're meant to act like a servant of this household, I need to make sure you're ready."

Yeah, yeah. Proper image and all that. Whatever.

"Let's just get this over with," Naruto said under his breath.

Kirumi had one final question to ask. "Did you read over the guest list that I gave you?"

"Yeah. It was helpful. I think I remember everyone that will be coming."

"Excellent. Then let us begin."

Indeed. Let the party begin.

* * *

'I could never make it as a rich person.'

That's all that was running through Naruto's mind as he stood next to Kirumi in the main room of the mansion in the first floor. Behind them was a large staircase that led up to the second floor. The whole room had been decorated, with wine and other snacks ready to be served at a moment's notice. There was a band playing as well. Only it wasn't like Ibuki's music. It was more toned down and very….. _artsy_.

Was that even the right word to use? Naruto didn't know, but he was using it.

Hayama was nowhere to be seen. Kirumi said it was because he always liked to make his entrance last, after all his guests had settled in.

Talk about being dramatic.

And so, it was the guests who showed up first. Names and photos that Naruto had seen on that file all came trickling in. They were all in suits and dresses. Probably more expensive than what any employee was making here tonight.

Kirumi made sure to greet all the guests while Naruto stood back. He was only interested in one person right now. Sure enough, she came walking inside last. She moved fast and quiet, almost like she was a phantom of some kind. If it weren't for the fact that he was looking out for her, Naruto was sure he wouldn't have seen her.

Kirigiri Kyoko. The headmaster's daughter. She had purple eyes and a pale complexion. She wore her long lavender hair down with a single braid on her left side, tied with a black ribbon. She wore a dark purple collared jacket over a zipped up long-sleeved white blouse, a black short skirt, and heeled knee-high purple boots. Naruto also noticed the black studded gloves over her hands.

'So that's her.'

Honestly, she was not what Naruto had been expecting. She looked far too…...serene for what he had been picturing. There was no mistaking that cold presence, though. She might have a pretty face, but Naruto wasn't going to let his guard down around her.

'Oh crap.'

The blond had to instantly shift his gaze away from her when her eyes drifted to his direction.

'She could tell I was looking at her?'

How scary. She definitely had good awareness about the area around her alright. She was similar to Peko in that regard, although the latter was a swordswoman so it was more understandable to him.

'Better be more careful.'

If he wanted to maintain his cover, then he couldn't afford too many more slip-ups like that.

When Kirumi finished greeting all the guests, several figures started to emerge from the second floor. They walked down the staircase and into the main room where the party was to be hosted. Among them was none other than Akira Hayama.

The man of the hour was finally here.

He looked just as Naruto had imagined. Tall, with gray hair and warm brown eyes. His face was covered in wrinkles. He was in a fitting khaki-colored suit. Among all he walked with a cane, probably due to the noticeable limp in his step.

He had four other people around him. Three were definitely his children. Two were women, older than even Fuyuhiko's mom. The third was a man. The two daughters were in dresses fitting to the occasion, while the son wore a dark suit. He was the only to have the same eyes as his father, only his didn't carry the same warmth.

The final person with them appeared to be another maid, only she was older than Kirumi. Maybe in her mid-twenties if Naruto had to guess. She had short dark hair with similar colored eyes. Her expression was even more stern than Kirumi's, an impressive feat in a way.

"I apologize for the wait." Hayama addressed his guests all at once. It was only for a split second, but Naruto caught the pointed look the man threw his way. "It's getting harder and harder for me to move these days."

"There is no need to put on such a front with us, Hayama." A blond man spoke up. While every guest here was more than likely filthy rich or had powerful connections of sorts, this man in particular seemed to carry both.

Naruto was able to recognize him of course. Just like the others, his name and picture had been on the guest list. Naruto couldn't remember the man's full name, but his last name…..it was Togami, wasn't it? Yeah, something like that.

"We're quite aware how wary you must be given recent events." The man shot Kyoko a glance. "I hope you find the one responsible for all of this."

"As do I, Togami-san. As do I." Hayama then smiled. "But we're not here to fret over such things. This is a party, after all. Please don't let the night be ruined at my expense."

There were some murmurs from the other guests, but in the end they seemed to take Hayama's advice and carry on with the evening.

Naruto looked around the room for a moment, trying to see if anything out of the ordinary caught his eye. But he was soon being pulled up the stairs by Kirumi who gave him a hard stare.

"We're going."

Naruto looked at her confused before he saw Hayama walking back up the stairs with his children in tow. Not just them, but Kyoko was with them as well.

Well then.

Naruto grinned.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"I don't understand this at all, father. Why exactly does this girl need to be here again?"

"You know why, Uzumi. The investigation is still ongoing."

"Yes, but what exactly does she need to investigate _here_? We're not the culprits. She should be out somewhere else, doing her job. Like we're paying her to."

"Kirigiri-san asked to join us tonight. She hasn't told me her reasoning, but I trust her judgement on the matter."

"Seems like a waste of money to me. If you had only let me hire someone more qualified, we would already have the answers we seek. Instead, we're letting this kid play detective. How distasteful."

No words were being minced. Naruto was amazed to see that Kyoko's face never once budged from its blank expression. If the insults being thrown her way were annoying her, she wasn't showing it.

"This is ridiculous." The one from before, Uzumi, huffed from where she sat on the table. The family, plus Kirumi and the other maid, Kyoko, and Naruto were all gathered in the dining hall of the second floor. It was, as you may call it, a family gathering of sorts.

Speaking of Uzumi, she appeared to be the older of the two sisters. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair and wore a blue dress.

"Like Hasashi says, if she hasn't produced any results, then it's obvious we're wasting our time here."

Kyoko, who stood near the door, closed her eyes for a moment. It was almost like she was trying to calm her nerves.

"If I may. I haven't been allowed to speak yet. Dismissing me without hearing what I have to say is rather foolish, don't you think?"

The brother, Hasashi, scowled. "Watch your tongue, girl. Remember who your betters are."

That wasn't even directed at him, but Naruto was already pissed off with this guy.

"I don't mean to speak out of turn." Unlike him, Kyoko kept her cool and reopened her eyes. "If you want to take me off the case, then you are free to do so. However, as a detective, I am obligated to share what I know with you. So that you may have a better chance at getting to the truth of this matter."

Sounded practical.

The other sister seemed amused. Her hair was a lighter brown and was much longer, reaching all the way to her lower back. She wore a deep red dress.

"So honorable. I guess it's some code you detectives have or something?"

Was she trying to tease Kyoko?

Hayama sighed and leaned back in his seat. He looked a lot more exhausted than he had when he was addressing his guests earlier. Looks like he couldn't hide behind his mask all the time.

"You have nothing to worry about, Kirigiri-san. You won't be fired. We are simply impatient to get this solved. I'm sure you can understand that."

Kyoko didn't comment on this. Rather, she moved on to what she really wanted to say.

"I believe I had already shared my suspicious with you all before, about my belief that the mastermind who had your family member killed was one of you. Well, my suspicious have only increased since then."

You could practically here a pin dropping in the room.

Hasashi's eyes hardened. "You dare accuse us again? You think one of us could have killed our little brother!?"

The anger was obvious.

Kyoko wasn't fazed. "The attack on my hotel room. I recognized the type of explosive that was used. There are only a few suppliers in all of Japan who could have arranged for something like that. From there, it wasn't difficult to trace where the money came from."

She didn't need to say anything else, but she did anyway.

"The Akira family. It was from one of your accounts. I'm sure no one but you four have access to it. It's also worth mentioning that only one of you would have anything to gain from my death. That doesn't include you, of course, Akira-san. You have no motive. Nothing to gain from killing your own child. But the rest of you…."

There, she stopped.

Naruto eyed the three siblings. Kyoko's words were pragmatic. Her logic was sound. If what she said was true, then it only further solidified Naruto's fears.

'I have nothing to investigate here.'

It wouldn't make a difference.

Hayama only smiled, though.

"That is certainly very interesting, Kirigiri-san. However, I am sad to say that your conclusion is incorrect. No one in this room is a cold-blooded killer. Of that, I can assure you."

There was a crack in Kyoko's mask at those words. Was it frustration? Or anger?

"My investigation-"

"You are definitely gifted," Hayama cut her off. "I am not doubting your skills. It just means that this mastermind is more crafty than we thought. They must be trying to lead you in the wrong direction. I'm sure if you retrace your steps, you'll find a clue that you missed the first time. It happens to the best of us, after all."

Hmm. Naruto really didn't know what to think about that.

"Now then." Rising from his seat, Hayama gave Kyoko another smile. "Continue your investigation. I'm sure the real truth will present itself soon. In the meantime, you are free to enjoy yourself tonight."

Kyoko kept quiet. Her face was impossible to read. For a moment, Naruto was sure she would raise another complaint. But instead, she merely gave the man a simple nod before leaving the room.

'How troublesome.'

That's all Naruto could say about this situation right now.

"The nerve of that girl." Hasashi was still scowling as he stood up as well. "Accusing us again. She's nothing but a fraud."

"Tell me about it." Uzumi was inspecting her nails with a bored expression. "That little girl is totally out of her league. I hope you come to your senses soon, father. There are better detectives out there."

"Eh, who cares about that?" The other sister stood up, looking excited. "Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, we can totally enjoy ourselves tonight!"

Her words made Hasashi grin. "Right. You always look for the positive in every situation, Yozuru. I really do admire that about you."

Yozuru giggled. "Oh, you flatter me."

Naruto found their conversation...to be in poor taste.

The blond also noticed the way Hayama was looking at them. There was no mistaking that look.

It was full of sadness and remorse.

This only further confused Naruto. 'What are you thinking, gramps?'

The look on the man's face was enough to make the blond reconsider his previous judgement. That is to say, whether or not he would really get involved with the investigation.

Naruto had his answer now.

"But before that, I do have a question on my mind." Uzumi's eyes bored into Naruto's skull. "Did you hire a new butler, father?"

So there now moving on to him, huh.

"I did. I decided the extra help was needed. To ease the burden on Kirumi and Sae," Hayama explained with ease. He had an incredible poker face.

'So Sae is the name of the other maid.' Naruto pocketed that information.

Hasashi studied the blond. "He does seem rather…..boorish, don't you think? Are you sure he's right for the job?"

Say what now!? Naruto had no idea what boorish meant, but he was sure it was an insult!

Kirumi shot him a hard look to make sure he wouldn't say anything stupid. Thankfully, Naruto was able to hold his temper in. Blowing his cover this early really wouldn't be cool.

"As long as he does a good job." Uzumi was already dismissive of him as she stood up. "Anyway, now that the so-called detective is dealt with, why don't we take Yozuru's suggestion and enjoy the party? I'm sure it's what our brother would have wanted."

Hasashi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. What do you say, father?"

"I suppose you're right." With Sae guiding him to the door, Hayama was able to limp his way out of the room. "We're still alive. We should enjoy ourselves while we still can."

Yozuru giggled into the sleeve of her dress. "How right you are, father."

Naruto watched them go, until it was only him and Kirumi left in the dining hall.

"They're an annoying bunch." Naruto said as he started to fiddle with his tie. "I'm surprised you can put up with them."

He would have punched them a long time ago.

Kirumi didn't have such thoughts. "It a maid's duty. They are my masters, so I must serve them. Without a master, a maid serves no purpose."

How robotic. And nostalgic.

"Suit yourself. But the butler life really isn't for me."

Kirumi frowned. "What are you planning?"

"That girl, Kyoko. I need to ask her some stuff."

"What are you saying?" Kirumi's face was disapproving. "Do you really think that's wise? And besides, if you disappear out of the blue like this, it can raise some suspicion."

"I'm sure you can come up with an excuse for me." Naruto was already removing his jacket as he made for one of the windows. "You're also serving me, remember? That means supporting me. So help me with this."

Kirumi looked conflicted for a moment before bowing.

"You're right. My mistake. I won't hesitate again."

Naruto felt like she was taking his words a bit too seriously. Probably that maid training. He should keep that in mind from now on. Saying the wrong thing could really bite him in the ass.

'I can think about that later.'

For now, he had a detective to sneak up on.

* * *

Kirigiri Kyoko wasn't like most girls. She didn't mean that in a good way either. Or maybe she did….?

Great. She was already confusing herself. Well, that was normal. When she was left alone with her personal thoughts, she always felt confused. If it didn't involve her work as a detective, she was practically like a new born fawn. Stumbling, unsure of herself and the world around her. Totally oblivious and easy to prey on.

How depressing was that?

It was the main reason why Kyoko never liked to spend much time getting her personal thoughts in order. It was all just so confusing. And besides, if it didn't deal with her detective work, what good was it? That's what her grandfather always told her anyway.

Detective first. Everything else second.

That sure wasn't doing her any favors right now.

'I don't get it.'

Kyoko stood outside in one of the balconies on the second floor, the night air being her only companion. Behind her was the glass door that led back inside the mansion, with said door surrounded by a bunch of smaller windows.

Kyoko wasn't the partying type, and she needed some peace and quiet to think things through. Not just that, but the people downstairs were all strangers to her. She had no reason to hang around where she wasn't welcomed. That isn't to say that she had any _friends_ either. Associates sure. But friends?

Wait, no. Now wasn't the time for pointless thoughts. She still needed to figure out a way around the big problem she was facing. Namely, Hayama and his refusal to believe that one of his children was involved with this murder.

Technically speaking, it wasn't like Kyoko needed his approval. If she gathered enough evidence, she could still present her findings to the police. They could handle the arrest if need be. She might not get paid, but that was the least of her worries. As long as justice was carried out, she was satisfied.

Not only that, but there was also the bombing to consider. She had called in some old favors to track down the supplier. The explosive used had been near military grade, so it wasn't cheap. Only a few people could even attempt to get their hands on it, least of all sell it. It was a good thing Kyoko made sure to switch hotels at random intervals ever since she had gotten here. Not even Hayama knew this. She had only assured him that she had safeguards in place.

It had paid off.

As for the supplier, not even he knew who his buyer had been. It was all done electronically. At least it hadn't been a total dead end. Kyoko had been able to get one clue from the whole thing: the account used to pay the supplier. She was certain it was one of the Akira family's accounts. Only Hayama and his children had access to that account. The pieces were all there. However, if she was to go to the police with this, she would need more evidence. She wanted to make sure it was an open-and-shut case. For there to be no room for doubt. For the culprit to have nowhere to run.

Only then would she be satisfied. Because then not even the Akira's wealth could save them.

So the question now was this. What was she going to do? What was her next step here?

As Kyoko pondered this, she never noticed the figure dropping onto the balcony from the floor above her until after the fact.

"What-?" The girl quickly spun around. Her reaction time wasn't bad for someone who wasn't focused in combat. Her lack of training didn't stop her from attempting to kick the intruder, though.

Sadly for her, her kick was stopped before it could even reach its target, the person grabbing her by the ankle in one swift movement.

"Easy there. I'm not here to hurt you."

Kyoko fell back in an instant, pulling her leg back as she put some distance between herself and this new person.

"I was careless."

She would have been more prepared for a surprise attack. That said, she still had a chance of turning this situation around. If this led to the break she was looking for...

"Like I said, I'm not here to hurt you." The person stepped out of the shadows, revealing his fox-like mask to the girl. The rest of his strange getup only made Kyoko more wary.

"You expect me to believe you when you're dressed like that?"

It looked like this guy was planning on going to war or something. One thing Kyoko did notice was the spiky blond hair sticking out behind the mask. She made a mental note of that for later.

"Look, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already."

"How reassuring."

The blond's shoulders sagged a little. "Why are all the girls I meet always so stubborn?"

Kyoko wasn't amused. "If you're not here for me, then state your purpose."

The masked person tilted his head. "I didn't say I wasn't here for you. I just said I don't want to hurt you."

"Then what do you want from me?"

"Some answers. I want you to tell me everything you know about this case you're on."

Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "Of what concern is that to you?"

"Let's just say I was a friend of the victim."

That didn't placate Kyoko in the slightest. She had done a checkup on every person who was in close contact with Hayama's son. None of them came close to matching the description of the person standing before her, mask or no mask.

"If you're attempting to lie to me, you should do a better job at it."

Kyoko swore she heard the masked person mumble something, but because of the mask she was unable to read his lips.

How vexing.

"Look, just what do you want me to-"

The masked person suddenly lunged at her, and for a moment Kyoko was sure that she was going to be killed right then and there. It was only after he tackled her to the ground that she noticed the knife flying right where her head had been just a moment earlier, with glass shattering around them.

It didn't take her long to figure out where the knife came from. One single glance to the glass door was all the confirmation Kyoko needed. The person standing on the other side was just icing on the cake really.

The attacker, whom Kyoko recognized as one of the waiters for tonight's party, pulled out another set of knives from his sleeves. From the looks of it, this guy was no amateur.

A contracted assassin perhaps?

While Kyoko pondered the possibilities, the masked blond slouched over her had only one thing to say to all of this.

"Crap."

* * *

 **I return once more. Don't crucify me. I'm actually near death right now. Stupid cold. I swear, it's always this time of year where I always get sick over and over. I'm practically drained out of energy and motivation. I don't know how I was able to write this. I just hope it's not too bad. Although the tone is obviously more different than before. Consider it my attempt at my own little mystery! And I swear if one of you already has this all figured out, I will throw my laptop out the window. Trying to catch you guys off guard is like mission impossible.**

 **And no, Byakuya will not be making an appearance. I only have his dad here as a cameo. Why? Well, in the initial draft of this, I did have Byakuya getting involved. It was going to be a foursome instead of a threesome. But then I decided that it would clutter things up too much, so I'm saving him for later. It would have been so fun to write, though. He and Naruto would hate each other's guts before being the best of friends the world has ever seen as they solved this mystery together….I'm a big Byakuya fan, okay. Come at me.**

 **I was even considering Celeste at one point, but that idea quickly died.**

 **There will be OC's, as you can tell. And I believe I mentioned this last time, but there will also be more action. I was sort of inspired by the Kirigiri novels if I'm being honest. Big fan of those.**

 **Anyway, that's all I got. I was also going to include a big character friendship list/chart to fully flesh out and explain Naruto's relationships with his classmates, but that's going to have to wait for now.**

 **Till next time.**


	25. So they walk into a bar

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24:  
** **So they walk into a bar...  
**

It all happened in a flash. Kyoko had seen many fast people in her life. Heck, she had come to face many dangers in her career, dangers that had forced her to act in seconds if she wanted to stay alive in this world. None of them came close to the level of speed the masked blond showed, though. He smashed right through the glass door, shooting straight for the armed assassin. The glass shattering around him didn't slow him down at all.

The waiter-turned assassin wasn't prepared for Naruto's speed either. The surprise was evident in his eyes when Naruto suddenly appeared before him, knocking the knives from his hands before he had a chance to do anything with them.

He took a step back. When Naruto followed up with a straight punch, he parried it with his fist. Naruto raised an eyebrow behind his mask when he saw this.

Oh? Maybe this guy was tougher than he thought.

That idea died off when the assassin then took off running down the hall right after. It seemed like he was cutting his losses right then and there.

Not too keen on letting the guy get away, Naruto thrust his arm forward as wire shot out from his sleeve. The strand of wire shot toward the assassin and wrapped itself around his leg, knocking him down and keeping him in place.

The assassin looked back with annoyance. He saw the wire and realized he wasn't going anywhere. Not unless he was willing to cut off his leg anyway.

It was here that Kyoko stepped into the hallway to follow the action, and when she saw the look on the assassin's face she started to panic a little.

"Stop him! Don't let him bite down at any cost!"

Naruto didn't question why the girl was barking orders at him now when she had been so distrustful of him a second ago, but he did as told. Using the wire as a propeller, Naruto right about flew over to where the trapped assassin was. It was only then that he got a glimpse of what had spooked Kyoko.

There was a small pill in the assassin's mouth. He bit down into it just as Naruto stood over him, with the blond unable to stop him in time.

The effects were quick and quite frankly horrifying. It only took seconds before the assassin slipped into unconsciousness, followed by what Naruto could clearly see was death. The color left his body. He stopped breathing. There was no more movement from him.

Naruto retracted his wire as he stood over the now lifeless body, his fist shaking in anger.

"That was….."

"A suicide pill." Kyoko came walking up behind him, her eyes already studying the body. "He must have deduced that he couldn't get away from you. Under such circumstances, he figured death was better than capture."

Her words made Naruto sick. The guy looked no older than twenty, and to die like this. How unfulfilling.

'It's just like I thought.'

Reading about the history of this world taught Naruto many things. Sure, on the surface, it looked to be more peaceful than the world he left behind. And really, for most people it really was close to paradise in many aspects. There were still victims, though. People who suffered greatly. Not because of their choices, but because of circumstance.

War, famine, disease. These were all problems here, problems that were slowly eating the world up.

Naruto had no idea what sort of life this guy may have had. What led him to become an assassin. Maybe he did like it. Maybe he had been a monster. That didn't stop Naruto from mourning him. Death was just not something he enjoyed seeing, or partaking in. It might have been indirectly, but Naruto did feel like he had killed this person.

It really was disgusting, and it made Naruto feel like he was no better than those he condemned.

Kyoko was the opposite of him. She held no emotion on her face as she studied the body. She moved about methodically, like she had done this countless times. Which she probably had. At this point, she was completely desensitized to death.

"As I thought. These knives." The girl found another knife tucked away in one of the sleeves. It was the last one he had on him. "They match the injuries found on the son's body."

That snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. He made sure to push these thoughts to the back of his mind. He could worry it later. Right now, keeping his head in the game is what mattered.

"What are you saying…..?"

"I'm saying I finally found the killer, but not the mastermind." Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "At first, I had been hoping for the two to be the same. It seems like I'm not so lucky."

Yeah, that much was obvious.

At least they had a conclusive clue. It wasn't just a lone killer. There really was a bigger conspiracy going on here.

Naruto was more worried about another detail here.

"You were pretty much leaving yourself open like that, ya know. Coming out here by yourself."

"I've been overestimating them is all," Kyoko said in return, her voice dismissive. "I never expected them to be this rash. Attacking me so quickly. Although it's a blessing in disguise. It's only helping me confirm my suspicions."

Is that so?

'Does nothing faze this girl?' Naruto was starting to worry if she had any emotion at all.

"Anyway, that's all nice and dandy, but I still need you to explain everything you know to me."

That was the whole reason Naruto had come to see her, after all. He couldn't forget about that.

"No."

Her quick dismissal was enough to make Naruto do a double take.

"What do you mean 'no'? I'm on your side here!"

Kyoko crossed her arms. "While it's true that the odds of you being after my life are close to zero now, that does not mean you are on my side. Your motives are still unclear to me. You could be working for a third party wanting to gain something different from all of this. There are countless possibilities and explanations for your presence here, reasons that I cannot dismiss. The point is, I cannot trust you."

This girl…..just how distrustful was she?

No, Naruto couldn't fault her. He really was an unknown to her. At the very least, this stunt just now was enough to make Kyoko at least feel _somewhat_ comfortable in his presence. It was a small window, but Naruto was going to use it to get closer to the girl.

Unfortunately, that had to be put on hold for now as Naruto heard footsteps coming this way. It probably wasn't more assassins, otherwise the guy wouldn't have resorted to suicide like that if he had backup coming.

"Looks like we're going to have company soon."

Kyoko heard the footsteps too, but she didn't look concerned. She was probably thinking the same as him.

"They're too late now."

Right.

Naruto looked at her. "We'll talk later. I don't know how, but I'm going to make you trust me."

"You could start by removing that mask of yours."

Yeah, right. Even he wasn't dumb enough to fall for that one.

Snorting, Naruto made for the now shattered glass door. "I'll see you around."

If it were anyone else, they would have looked shocked to see the blond jumping down from the balcony, but Kyoko wasn't most people. She merely watched him go without another word. She had many questions of her own about him, but she would have to postpone them as well. For now, showing this evidence to Hayama came first.

A moment after Naruto had disappeared, Kirumi rounded the corner and joined Kyoko in the hallway, running as fast as she could.

"What's going on here? I heard-"

The maid stopped when she noticed the body, as well as the broken glass. It didn't take a genius to deduce what had happened here.

Kyoko regarded her with a calm look. "I think you should bring your master here. He'll want to see this."

That was an understatement.

It took Kirumi a second or so to respond, but she came to her senses. When she did, she bowed.

"Understood, Kirigiri-sama."

Her maid training was just enough to make her get through this. But seeing a dead body was still…..unpleasant. Especially for someone as young as her.

What a night this was turning out to be.

* * *

Discarding his trench coat in his room was a bit more tedious than Naruto would have liked, but he still had to do it. After that, it was only a matter of putting his butler uniform back in place. He was sure he had done it properly….maybe.

Naruto was then walking back down to the first floor, where he found the party still on going. It seemed like nobody had heard any of the commotion upstairs. That was good. No need to spook the guests, especially if the mastermind was among them.

Still, Naruto couldn't help but look at everyone in the room with suspicion. Could the mastermind _really_ be in here? Or was it someone else entirely?

What about the employees? Were there other spies or assassins in the midst? What would be the mastermind's next move?

Naruto really had no way of knowing. Without anymore clues, he couldn't act.

'Better leave that to Kyoko for now.'

He still needed to play his part as a normal butler.

Naruto was able to spot Hayama as he made his way down the stairs. The man was talking to that Togami person from before. The two appeared to be really friendly. Did they have a history with one another?

"-couldn't make it," Togami was saying as Naruto neared the two men. He was sipping on some wine. "He's been preoccupied with those stocks of his. I don't really understand it, but he's been making quite the pocket change with it."

"Pocket change." Hayama sounded amused. "To the Togami family, pocket change is more money than any normal person can imagine. Maybe more than a country's worth."

Togami chuckled at this. "Mhmm, are you including yourself in that category?"

"Perhaps. Even my fortune doesn't compare to yours."

"True. The Togami family does stand beyond normal comprehension."

There was no mistaking that arrogance. It almost made Naruto shake his head.

'Sounds just like Madara.'

Not a good comparison for him.

"Which is why I can't understand him at all," the man continued. "The need for the extra money is just-"

"Perhaps he's trying to prove himself?" Hayama offered a suggestion to the man. "After all, it's the first time someone of his rank managed to win, correct? Maybe he holds some insecurities because of it?"

The Togami patriarch seemed to take Hayama's words into consideration.

"Yes. Perhaps that's what it is. He's definitely driven, if nothing else. I can't say I'm troubled over this."

Hayama chuckled. "Why yes, of course."

"What about you, Hayama? Are you going to announce your successor at last? I know your favorite passed away, but you can't leave things as they are."

"About that-"

"Master."

Hayama was cut off when Kirumi entered the scene. Right away, Naruto knew what this was about.

"Kirumi, what's wrong?" Instantly, Hayama's demeanor changed. He too could sense that something was wrong.

"It's best if you see it for yourself." Kirumi then paused for a second. "Should I inform the others as well?"

Hayama quickly shook his head. "No. We shouldn't trouble them over this." He then turned to the Togami patriarch. "My apologies, old friend. It appears I'm needed elsewhere."

"But of course." He raised his glass. "If you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask."

"I thank you."

Naruto didn't miss the look Hayama shot him as he followed Kirumi up the stairs and onto the second floor.

He wanted Naruto to follow him.

'Not like I was planning on staying back.'

Mingling with these kinds of people wasn't exactly something Naruto wanted to do, after all.

Happy to follow, Naruto was about to trek back up the stairs until the Togami stopped him.

"Hmm, you there. Servant."

The whiskered blond turned back, eyebrow raised.

"Me?"

Right away, Naruto could see the Togami was looking down at him. The sneer was just a bonus.

"Your uniform. It's all wrinkled. And you don't even have your necktie on properly. Really, why did Hayama hire someone like you? You look more like a common street thug you'd find at any street corner. Not worth anything basically."

What the hell?

'He can talk a lot of smack, can he?'

Naruto's arms were twitching. He had to physically restraint himself from scowling or showing any type of emotion. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done if he was being honest. The only motivation he had to keep himself in check was his cover. The headmaster was counting on him, so he couldn't snap over something this pointless.

The man didn't seem to notice Naruto's twitching. Or maybe he did, and he just didn't care. Probably the latter.

He smirked. "I hope you learn to present yourself in a better manner in the future. It's completely undignified otherwise. Now run along. Your master is calling for you."

Naruto simply did a half-assed bow before following after Kirumi and Hayama, the former of which was waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

"You handled that well," Kirumi complimented him as he got closer to her. "I was sure you were going to snap. Perhaps my words did have some effect?"

Was she teasing him?

Naruto just rolled his eyes. "Don't. Let's just go. Something happened, right?"

"Mhmm. Although I can't help but speculate that you already know what the problem is…."

So the girl was sharp. Naruto gave her props for that.

The blond only threw her a small grin, which made Kirumi sigh.

"You are definitely a troublemaker, Uzumaki-sama."

Was he? He never would have guessed!

* * *

Kyoko was still there when Naruto and Kirumi got back up to the hallway on the second floor. Hayama was looking over the mess with a grimace. Why? Naruto didn't know. Trying to get a read on the man's thoughts was proving to be harder and harder as time went on.

"I can't believe this. To think they managed to sneak into the island like this."

"Isn't this what you were expecting?" Kyoko pointed out. Her eyes trailed to Naruto for a moment before shifting back to the man. "I did warn you about this possibility, did I not?"

"With all due respect, Kirigiri-sama, you looked over the employee list and found nothing," Kirumi spoke up. "How were we to know that there was an assassin in our midst?"

Kyoko acknowledged that point. "True. He was a professional. But that's a given. He was able to elude us all this time."

Naruto was focused on Hayama. The man was still staring at the body of the person who had murdered his son. As a father, it was probably enraging to know you could do nothing to the one responsible for your son's death. Or maybe it brought him peace, to know the killer was already dead.

Most people fell into one of these camps. But which one was Hayama?

"What are you going to do now?" Rather than show any emotion, Hayama threw the question to Kyoko.

The girl detective had already made up her mind. "You may not want to accept this, but I will follow my instincts. This is the second time my life has been targeted. It's no secret why. Someone doesn't want me to dig deeper. I will continue to investigate, but the prime suspects are your family. Understand this."

Naruto had to admire the girl's boldness. Telling the man straight out that she was now going to be focusing her investigation on his family…..well, not many people could do that. Not with the power the Akira family supposedly held.

"Do know that, with me telling you this, I don't suspect you," Kyoko added. "But that can change in an instant."

Hayama didn't react to her words. It was difficult to tell if he was in any way offended or angered by Kyoko's accusation toward his children.

"I suppose I can't talk you out of this?"

Kyoko's response was simple.

"No."

Hayama turned back to the body. "Very well. I suppose you'll want to get some rest for the night. I prepared a room for you on the third floor. Feel free to use it. Kirumi can show you the way."

A normal person might have been hesitant to stick around after being targeted like this, but not Kyoko. She accepted the offer without hesitation.

"You have my thanks."

Hayama didn't answer her this time.

Naruto stepped aside as Kirumi ushered Kyoko to follow her. His eyes briefly met Kyoko's as she walked past him, but in that single frame Naruto saw much scrutiny in them.

She already suspected him, huh.

'She's scary.'

That's all Naruto could think afterward. She may look cute, but she was downright terrifying.

Just like most girls he came across.

Just his luck.

"I believe this is the first time we're formally speaking. Face-to-face that is."

Hayama's voice brought Naruto back to reality. With Kyoko and Kirumi gone now, it was just the two of them.

And the dead body. What a happy gathering!

Hayama turned to him, a small smile just visible past his wary eyes. "I'm guessing you were the one who dealt with this?"

Naruto only nodded.

So Kyoko didn't tell him? How strange. He was sure the girl was going to rat him out. Not that it would matter since Hayama was aware of his presence, but still.

'She's got something else in mind?'

Damn, just something else to consider.

"I guess Jin didn't make a mistake," Hayama said after a moment of silence. "To think, a boy your age could handle a trained assassin like this. Most impressive."

The assassin hadn't been that much older than Naruto, though.

"As you've already heard, this only puts my family in even greater risk." Hayama sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I really don't know what to do."

Wasn't there a simple solution for him here?

"If you don't want her investigating, why not fire her?"

That would solve it, right?

Hayama's smile turned bitter. "It's already too late for that, my boy. She would surely release her findings to the police, regardless of what I say. If something like that came out, that my own family was put on trial for the death of our own…..it would turn into a media nightmare."

Naruto didn't look convinced. It just seemed like a poor excuse. But thinking that, it made Naruto even more confused. Just what was Hayama thinking about all of this? Truly?

"Well, I got my own worries too," Naruto said out loud as he looked back to where Kirumi and Kyoko had gone. "This incident is what broke the camel's back." That's how that phrase was said, right? He only learned it recently. "She doesn't seem like the type of person who would throw around accusations without good reason."

"So you're on her side too?"

"I'm no one's side here."

That wasn't his mission, if he was being cynical about it. Trying to solve this mystery was only something he was doing out of the goodness of his heart. Whatever became of it didn't really affect him, though.

"I'm sure you've already realized this, Uzumaki-san, but the main reason I accepted Jin's request to have you brought to this island was to help me," Hayama stated. "Otherwise, I never would have allowed a third party to join such an important event."

Yeah, the man didn't need to state the obvious. But what's this? Turning hostile all of a sudden?

'No, not hostile. More like…...desperate?'

"You must believe me." Hayama limped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My family is not behind this tragedy. We are the victims here. Nothing else."

The two men stared at one another, neither shying away. You could say it was a moment of soul searching for the two of them. Both tried to understand the other, and both failed.

"Akira-sama."

Sae, the stoic main maid of the household, broke up the scene as she arrived with other servants by her side.

"The cleanup crew you requested has arrived."

So they were the ones who were going to dispose of the body, huh.

"But of course." Hayama stepped away from Naruto and smiled at the maid. "I was just about to return to the party. What about you, Uzumaki-san? Didn't Kirumi ask you to do something for her?"

An escape. Good.

Naruto nodded. "Right! I'll come back when I'm done."

Sae only bowed in his direction while the so-called clean up crew looked at the body for the first time. Naruto was sure they were going to have many questions about this whole situation, but he didn't stick long enough to find out. Besides, he was sure Hayama could lie his way through it.

Probably.

* * *

"This is problematic."

Yeah, understatement of the year right there.

"I can't believe something like this would happen. I was confident the employees were clear. And yet, this happens."

Kirumi was pacing around the room. To be more precise, Hayama's main office on the fifth floor. They would have the utmost privacy in here, which is why they had come up here in the first place.

Naruto almost whistled. It was the first time she was seeing the girl this troubled. She really did care about the old man, didn't she?

How touching.

"You can't always be prepared for everything." That's a lesson Naruto had learned early on in his ninja career. "Not even this Kyoko girl had expected this, and it's her job to see what other people can't."

His words didn't seem to calm Kirumi down.

"I am a maid. My duty is to support my master and keep him safe. Which I have failed to do."

Really?

"I'm pretty sure that assassin wasn't after your master."

"Perhaps." Kirumi wasn't convinced. "We can't know for sure, though. He is dead. Who knows what else he might have done if given the chance."

Well….Naruto didn't know how to refute that. A number of scenarios could be possible here.

"What happened happened, and you can't change it. Let's just worry about the now."

That's what Naruto thought at least.

Kirumi stopped and took a deep breath. "Yes…..that is true. Worrying about the past is pointless now."

Hmm. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would say that Kirumi was actually….. _scared_ about something.

But what?

"Kyoko said she looked through the employee list," Naruto said. "Do you still have that?"

"Ah, but of course. I made sure to print out multiple copies, just in case." Almost like she had been expecting Naruto to bring up the topic, Kirumi walked up to Hayama's desk and pulled out a thick file from one of the drawers. It was even thicker than the one she had given him earlier, the one for the guest list.

"I made sure to stash them in here, where they would be secured. Why?"

This saved him some time.

"Help me find the guy who died. Maybe there's something on his file that could give us a clue."

Kirumi looked unsure, but she still followed Naruto's suggestion.

It took the two of them a few minutes before they finally found the picture that matched the body downstairs.

The name on the file was Watanabe Aito. Nothing weird about that. The rest of his information was pretty standard too, although there was one peculiar detail that caught Naruto's eye. He wouldn't call it _strange_ or anything like that, just…..peculiar. Interesting perhaps?

"He also works at a bar on the mainland?"

Kirumi looked at him. "Yes. A lot of employees here are only temporary. From what I hear, the Akira family hires them due to the increase in work for the party every year. Many are locals, while others are specialists. It all depends on the job."

Very interesting. Naruto wasn't as knowledgeable or skilled when it came to espionage and the like as Jiraiya had been, but there was one thing the old pervert had managed to teach him during their time together.

Bars were a great place to gather information.

Naruto started to grin.

"I think I just figured out what our next move is."

Kirumi gave him a puzzled look, which Naruto ignored.

Now, it was only a matter of getting Kyoko involved.

* * *

The third floor of the mansion was where the guest rooms were. They were a lot bigger and fancier than the employee rooms, which was to be expected.

Kyoko occupied one of these rooms, and with Kirumi's instruction Naruto had no problem figuring out which one it was.

The blond was back in his gear, mask and everything. Thankfully the window to the room was left open, so Naruto was able to easily sneak in. He had to mentally groan, though, since Kyoko was once again leaving herself exposed for another assassination attempt like this.

That train of thought flew out the window when Naruto had to duck away from a lamp that was being brought down right toward his head.

He rolled away just in time and landed on his feet, ready to pounce on the new attacker until he saw who it was.

Kyoko.

"You."

Kyoko relaxed when she saw him.

"It's you again."

Naruto nearly screamed. "What the hell are you doing, attacking me like that!? Are you trying to kill me now!?"

"My apologies." She didn't even sound sorry. "I thought you were another assassin. That's why I left my window open. I wanted to catch one of them to get more information."

…...okay, so he was totally off earlier, but that wasn't important.

"You….you're totally laid back about all of this."

"Am I not supposed to be?" Kyoko put the lamp back where she'd found it, next to the bed. "I'm not sure why someone like you is even questioning this. Haven't you dealt with death before?"

The image of the dead assassin from before flashed through Naruto's mind, but he ignored it.

"This isn't about me. Aren't you younger than me? What kind of stuff have you been doing up until now?"

Most teenagers in this world were supposed to be living peaceful lives, right? But this girl didn't seem to be like that.

"I'm a detective."

That's all Kyoko would say on this mater.

It definitely left Naruto frustrated, but there wasn't anything else he could say on the matter.

"Why did you come here?" Kyoko asked him after silence had descended between them. "Are you going to try and kill me, after all?"

Okay, so she was still on that. Great.

"No. The opposite." Naruto stood straight as he faced her. "Our conversation before got interrupted, so I'll cut to the chase. I'm saying we should work together."

"Is that so?" Kyoko's voice sounded sarcastic, which was sort of impressive as up until now it had always been monotonous. She stood on the opposite side of the bed, perfectly highlighting their current predicament. They were not on the same side here. "Like I told you, I have little reason to trust you. I don't even know what you look like."

Hm.

Naruto already had a counter for that. Hayama might not like it, but frankly Naruto didn't care. He was more interested in solving this case. If he did, he could accomplish both missions at once. It was the best way to ensure success for everyone basically.

"Alright, you got me. What I told you before was a lie. I didn't know Hayama's son. That's not why I'm here."

Kyoko just stared at him, waiting for what else he had to say.

And so Naruto talked.

"I was actually hired by Hayama to lead another investigation, all so that he can prove his family is innocent."

Was it the truth? Absolutely. Was it the whole truth? Nope. But this way, Naruto wouldn't be compromising any of his orders. The headmaster would still be happy, and Hayama would be…..somewhat happy?

Close enough.

'I guess her grandfather wouldn't like it.'

But that guy was an asshole, so who cares.

"I see." Kyoko accepted his words as she closed her eyes for a moment. "That makes a lot more sense. I never expected he would go this far, though. That man is confusing."

On that, the two of them were in agreement.

Reopening her eyes, Kyoko said, "However, that is more reason for me to not accept your help. For all I know, you could be trying to disrupt my investigation, in the hopes of protecting the Akira family."

Seriously? She was _still_ doubting him?

'This girl has major trust issues.'

Like major. Not the whole world was out to get you!

Still, Naruto couldn't say he was totally surprised. A part of him was honestly expecting this response.

"I can provide you with a hint maybe?"

If she had already thought of this, then…..well, he was screwed basically.

Kyoko stared at him in silence for a few moments before replying.

"Speak."

Naruto almost twitched. What was he, a dog!?

"The guy who tried to kill you tonight. He worked at a bar in the mainland. It might be a long shot, but maybe someone there knows more than we do. Like if he met up with anyone, or if they'd seen anyone suspicious recently."

That's what Naruto was thinking anyway. He couldn't be sure if this would lead anywhere, but it's all he had.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow at this. "Did you look over the files of the employees?"

She recalled that information, since she had read it herself. She had dismissed it at first of course. There was nothing suspicious about this detail. Many people had two jobs or more, especially people in their twenty's. That's why she had filed it away as unimportant information.

Now that she knew the employee was actually an assassin, that piece of information could lead to something else. But while she might have arrived to that conclusion herself, it would have taken her longer since she would have needed to recall that detail first.

"Something like that, yeah."

He wasn't telling the whole truth again. Kyoko didn't like that at all. It only made her more anxious, but she had to admit that the masked blond brought up a good point.

"Are you proposing we go there together?"

Naruto shook his head. "Of course not. You can do that on your own. I'm sure I'd just get in the way."

That wasn't Naruto's true reason of course. He just wanted to make sure he was in a more favorable position in case anything went down. Having to sneak around if an emergency happened would only be troublesome. He didn't want to deal with that, so acting independently from Kyoko was the best way to go.

As for Kyoko, she mulled this over. It could very well be a trap, but it was also a possible lead. If she had thought of it herself, she would have gone ahead and acted, no problem. But now, she had to second-guess herself.

"I'll consider it," she said at last.

Naruto knew that was the best he was going to get from her, so he took it.

"Alright. I'll be in touch."

There was another staring contest between the two that only lasted for a few moments before Naruto was jumping out the window.

Kyoko was left shaking her head at this.

'Can't he use the door like a normal person?'

Really, how embarrassing.

* * *

You could almost say the first night of the party went well after that. The body of the assassin still had to be disposed of. The ones who did it were paid greatly to make sure they didn't speak about it to anyone else. It would simply be transported to the mainland for the police to handle it. That's what Kirumi told Naruto anyway.

Better that way really. There was no need to further complicate this already complicated situation.

As Kirumi had explained, many of the guests returned to the mainland to spend the rest of the night at their hotels after the first night of partying came to an end. Others stayed in the guest rooms.

Once again, Naruto was left wondering if one of these people was the mastermind. And if so, was there anyway to find an answer quicker? If Kyoko took his advice, then she would leave in the morning. That left several hours of downtime. Could Naruto do anything more in that time?

He could sneak aboard one of the boats and follow those who left to the mainland. He wouldn't have a way of returning, though. Not unless he contacted Kirumi, and that could raise some suspicion if anyone found out.

How about those that stayed behind, including Hayama's children? If he snuck into their rooms and tried to hunt for clues…..

The second idea held more merit in the blond's mind, and in the end he went through with it, unable to keep himself still.

Sadly, it didn't provide much results. If any. He didn't find anything worthwhile with the rooms. No evidence of any sort, nada. He did almost stumble into some raunchy scenes, though. Turns out some of the guests had brought…..let's just call them _companions_ with them to keep them company during the night.

How daring.

There was nothing out of place, though. This only left Hayama's children. But as he tried to sneak into Hasashi's room, he was already met with some complications.

Namely, the man wasn't asleep yet. And he wasn't alone. Kirumi was with him?

"I believe I have expressed my disapproval toward your actions, Hasashi-sama," Naruto heard Kirumi say from his position outside the window.

Naruto couldn't see Hasashi's face, but he was sure the man was smirking.

"Don't be like that. You and I both know my idiot father will be sure to pick me as his successor. He might not have announced it tonight, but it's bound to come up during this party at some point."

Hmm. Really now?

"That may be-"

"You're a talented girl, Kirumi." Hasashi's voice became lower. Was that his attempt at trying to sound soothing? It only made Naruto's skin crawl. "I can tell. You have a bright future ahead of you. Your skills are wasted on my father. But if you come to my side-"

"You are free to hire me whenever you wish," Kirumi cut him off. "My agency would not turn away a high-paying client such as yourself."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

Silence followed after the outburst. Naruto couldn't see what either of them were doing during this time, but then Hasashi spoke again.

"I want you to be at my side willingly. For as long as you live. I want you to serve me of your own accord, not as part of some contract. I want _you_. Understand?"

Was this a declaration of love?

Naruto couldn't believe it.

"My father is always saying how he wants grandkids before he passes away, so-"

"As I've already said, I have to refuse." Kirumi's voice was calm. Naruto had expected her to be a little worried or confused at least. How many times has she dealt with this? "I do wish to find a proper master one day. However, you are not him."

Oh?

'Am I hearing Kirumi's dream right now?' Naruto felt a bit embarrassed. He didn't know why.

"You're still saying that?" Hasashi's voice became annoyed. "Who else is more worthy than I? I will lead the Akira family to greater heights! You can see that, can't you?"

"I do see potential in you, but you're not using it. You rely solely on your family's reputation. A reputation your father built. Not you. And you don't seem to want to change."

How blunt. Naruto thought Kirumi might be more delicate than that, but then again the one she officially served was Hayama, not Hasashi or the rest of Hayama's children. This was also more personal.

"You…"

Hasashi was definitely pissed. Naruto worried that things might turn violent, but thankfully they didn't.

"If you excuse me, Hasashi-sama. I need to rest for tonight."

With those parting words, Kirumi left the man's room. Hasashi, now alone in the room, cursed and almost fell into a full on tantrum.

Naruto couldn't see any of it, though, and he didn't want to risk getting caught.

'I think I saw something I shouldn't have.'

That was something of an understatement.

But after witnessing all of that, Naruto suddenly felt exhausted. He returned to his room to get some rest, just like Kirumi.

He could ask her about the details some other time perhaps, but for now the blond slept.

What would tomorrow bring?

* * *

"You know, I've already said this like a million times, but being a butler sucks."

"I take it you're not a morning person?"

"What was your first clue?"

"Hmm. You have terrible bed hair. Well, your hair normally is too spiky and unruly. Have you ever thought about straightening it out?"

"Touch my hair, and I'm biting you."

"How barbaric."

Their banter attracted the attention of some of the other staff, but Naruto didn't care. It was too early in the morning to care.

Sleep was a foreign concept around here, as all the employees were already up and about. They had to prepare breakfast for the guests that stayed behind, which meant waking up earlier than normal.

The sun wasn't even up yet!

As the main butler or something, Naruto had to be up and ready as well. While he looked like he was going to fall over, Kirumi looked just fine.

'Mornings are terrible.'

Shikamaru would totally agree.

Thankfully, his ninja training kicked in soon after and he was able to return to normal after getting some food.

"You should be happy," Kirumi told him as they ate together in the back of the mansion. Apparently this was Kirumi's favorite spot whenever she came to the island since she got a good view of the sunrise. "Kirigiri-sama informed me that she was going to the mainland today."

Naruto perked up. "She's already awake?"

Did no one around here like to sleep or what!?

But more importantly, did this mean that Kyoko had taken his advice, after all?

"She was the first to awaken," Kirumi said with a small smile. "She's very focus like that."

Hmm, was that some admiration he was sensing? How cute.

"I have to get a boat ready for her," Kirumi continued. "And since she's an important guest, I will have to accompany her. I'm sure she won't like it. But that means-"

"Don't worry about me." Naruto grinned. "This works just fine. I can tail you both. I'm sure she might try to ditch you, but I'll be able to follow her anywhere."

Even she couldn't outrun him.

Kirumi looked offended. "I couldn't call myself a proper maid if I allowed myself to fail in this duty."

Right, right.

But anyway, this was great news for the blond. There could be more progress at last!

'I can't forget about last night, though.'

Naruto made sure to not let himself stare at Kirumi for too long, lest she caught on to his questioning stare. It was killing him a bit, though. Was the girl in a tough situation? Could he help somehow?

The blond wouldn't call Kirumi his friend, but he was slowly but surely coming to like her. She took her duties seriously, and she wasn't a bad person by any means. He knew it was her job to help him, but if he could do something in return….

Naruto fully faced her.

"Hey, Kirumi. About last night-"

He was cut off when Sae suddenly appeared, her face stoic as usual.

"There you are, Tojo. I've been looking for you."

Kirumi stood up, looking at her superior with respect.

"Yes?"

"Kirigiri-sama is about to leave. I believe it was Akira-sama who told you to accompany her, correct? Then you should get going."

Wait, already!?

'Crap.'

Naruto quickly began to eat the rest of his breakfast at a speed that would have made Choji jealous. But he had to! He was certain he was going to need all the energy he could muster for this.

He didn't know why. It was just a hunch of his.

Sae and Kirumi both watched him, the latter with some amusement.

"That is not how a proper butler should eat," Kirumi said, almost looking like she was trying to hold herself back from laughing a little.

Naruto was too busy stuffing his cheeks to respond.

'I'm ready, Kyoko!'

Let's do this.

* * *

Naruto didn't ride in the same boat as Kyoko and Kirumi, instead taking a different one after the two girls had left. He didn't want to alert Kyoko of his presence, after all. After that, it was only a matter of ditching his butler uniform and changing into his gear.

Then, he had to find them.

Going off his hunch, Naruto managed to track them down by going to the bar that was in the files. Sure enough, he was able to spot them in front of the entrance.

'So she's going for it, after all.'

It wasn't as early as before, but Naruto was sure there wouldn't be many people at this hour. Maybe she was only coming to talk to the owner first?

'But I gotta say, trying to avoid the crowds isn't easy.'

Naruto had gone from rooftop to rooftop on his way over here. It was the fastest way for him to travel without being detected, and it worked like a charm. He didn't need people giving him weird looks because of his attire.

Moving on. For now, it was a waiting game. He had to see if Kyoko managed to get anything useful, or if this was a dead end. Hopefully the former. He didn't know what else to do if they came up empty handed from this.

Naruto made himself comfortable on the rooftop he was on while he watched Kyoko and Kirumi walk inside the bar. He had a good vantage point from up here, so there was no reason to move.

Until he heard the sound of gunfire from behind him.

It was a sniper rifle. The bullet was aimed right for his heart. If he wasn't wearing his specialized trench coat, Naruto was sure he would be dead right now.

But while the bullet didn't penetrate him, the impact from the bullet was still able to knock him back a little and even make him flinch in pain.

'That…..hurt.'

Like a lot. But at least he wasn't dead.

This time, it was he who got careless. He should have been ready for something like this, but instead he had assumed any new assassin would only come for Kyoko and not him.

How naive.

There was a second shot. The sniper rifle obviously had a suppressor, but it couldn't muffle the noise completely. And now that he was on high alert, Naruto was more than ready to duck to the side and evade the second shot that was very clearly coming for his head this time.

This guy wasn't messing around.

'But where is he!?'

Naruto did a quick scan of the area around him, checking every rooftop on sight. When the third shot came, he was able to spot the shooter with ease.

This time, instead of evading the shot, Naruto pulled out one of his new kunai and used it to block the shot. Not surprising, the shot couldn't penetrate it and was instead repelled.

Really, the **Ultimate Blacksmith** was no joke.

Knowing he was spotted, the sniper seemed ready to change positions so that he could get more shots in without danger.

Naruto didn't let him, though.

The blond didn't waste time in jumping onto the other rooftop that was several meters away. It was a grand showing, and one that had the sniper laughing when he saw it.

"Ahahaha! I can't believe it. Been a while since I last saw something like that. Not since that crazy girl."

Say what now?

Naruto twirled his kunai as he faced off against the new assassin. This one was different from the one before, though. He was lightly tanned and was dressed in full military gear, and had several weapons on him. His lower face was covered by a mask, but his light brown hair that fell to his shoulders was exposed for anyone to see. The same was true for his hazel eyes, which seemed amused rather than worried or serious.

'This guy….'

He already confused Naruto in many ways.

"I would gladly introduce myself, but that would be bad for business." The older man dropped his snipe rifle without a care. He instead branded what was clearly a sub-machine gun. It took Naruto a couple of seconds to realize that it was a MP5K.

Thank you for that, Sonia.

"So how about we get to it instead?"

The man didn't give Naruto anytime to respond.

He just opened fire.

* * *

 **Oh boy, do I feel much better. Hopefully there aren't anymore nasty surprises during this winter. Can't deal with another stupid cold.**

 **So. Hmm, what can I say about this one?**

 **Well, there are several things I put into motion here. The biggest I want to address is Naruto "killing." Other than his "home angst," this is the biggest part of Naruto's character that I will focus on in this story. You could say it's my biggest gripe with canon Naruto and what Kishimoto did (besides how Madara went out, but that's a different topic). I feel like there was wasted potential there, not having Naruto directly have to deal with death. And by that I mean, not having the blond kill anyone. Kakuzu doesn't count as far as I'm concerned. It could have led to some interesting stuff. I addressed this in a different story of mine, and I will do so again. Here, it will be more prevalent, mainly because it will lead directly into his confrontation with Junko as well as his interaction with other characters. I could go into more detail, but that could lead into spoiler territory so I'll leave it at that for now.**

 **The love hotel in V3, while perverted and outrageous, also served to give some more characterization to the cast, even if I didn't care for some of them. Kirumi's especially was pretty sweet in my opinion, so yeah. You could see hints of that here. Where that goes will be seen in future chapters.**

 **Finally, some of you pointed out mistakes that Naruto has made. Which is true. Because he isn't exactly a "great ninja." That was the whole point of his character, so that he could reform the society he was in. He does have some qualities as we have seen thanks to his pranks, but he's not all there yet. It's like his fighting abilities. I want him to make mistakes and learn from there. Kyoko can be a great teacher, don't you think?**

 **That's all I think. I'm a huge fan of using OC's whenever it's needed, and this is no exception. Next chapter we lead to the first true fight of the story. I'm excited for that.**

 **And as promised, I leave you with the character "chart." It basically details how each of Naruto's classmates feels about him up to this point (with some blanks in them).**

 **This is my last update for the year, so I'll see you all in 2020, where hopefully we start wearing tuxedos and dresses and throwing extravagant parties.**

 **Gatsby was so cool dammit.**

 **Till next time!**

* * *

 **Girls:**

 **1\. Chiaki Nanami: Extremely reserved, unable to make friends for most of her life. Thanks to Naruto's reassurance that she was more than just her talent, she has been able to open up to her classmates. Her exact thoughts on Naruto are unclear as of yet, although there is no doubt that she deeply cares for him and thinks of him as a very dear friend.**

 **2\. Akane Owari: Afraid to be seen as weak, always trying to appear as nonchalant about everything as she can. Because of Naruto, she now knows that there is no reason she can't be weak at times. Because feeling weak means she can become evens stronger after. Naruto is the only one she's shown this side of her, which he finds very cute. She considers Naruto a rival but also a close friend. If she has any romantic feelings for him, she hasn't shown them.**

 **3\. Sonia Nevermind: Outgoing and bubbly, but also vulnerable and afraid of her duty as the princess of her kingdom. She's thankful that Naruto doesn't see her as just a princess. She values his spirt and dreams for the future and wishes to follow in his footsteps. She also believes he can become a great ruler of her kingdom. Does this mean she has romantic feelings for him? Unknown as of yet. However, it does seem she's willing to find out.**

 **4\. Hiyoko Saionji: Always trying to put a tough front like Akane, but she's just as vulnerable if not more so. Thanks to Naruto she's learn to accept that those in her class aren't trying to get to her and can accept them as friends. She sees Naruto as a big brother figure, but it seems as though there is more to it than that. She wants to get closer to him, despite not truly knowing why. Although she does think she feels safe with him, just as she did around her father.**

 **5\. Ibuki Mioda: Passionate and outspoken, left alone due to disagreement with her band. She doesn't care for ticket sales or trying to be "number one." With Naruto and Hiyoko, she's learned to share her love for music and play more happily than ever before. She's shown to be physically attracted to the blond before, but is there a full on romantic attraction? Only time will tell.**

 **6\. Mahiru Koizumi: Strict and sometimes overbearing, but also compassionate and caring. She's one of the more responsible ones of the group, so she's clashed often with Naruto's more easy going personality. However, without realizing it, she's gained feelings for him. The first time she's fell for someone. Without admitting it, she thinks she can take care of Naruto and set him on an even better path. Maybe even as a wife….?**

 **7\. Peko Pekoyama: Thought to have no future or friends, thought to not even be human. Through Naruto she's learned to think of herself a person and even a friend to others. She's also come to realize her own feelings toward Fuyuhiko. She often blushes from Naruto's compliments but doesn't mind them as it makes her feel more like a normal girl.**

 **8\. Mikan Tsumiki: Psychologically broken, thought to be garbage and unworthy of love. Her feelings for Naruto are undeniable. She was the first to fall for him, but she doesn't think she's worthy. Despite this, she tries to get closer to him as it makes her feel happy and safe. She would do anything for him, and wishes for nothing more than to always be at his side forever.**

 **Boys:**

 **1\. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu: A fake mask of toughness, which only brought him solitude. He still regards himself as inexperienced and not ready to lead his clan, but is happy to grow alongside Naruto in order to become a better leader. He thinks of the blond as his best friend, and perhaps even as a brother. For a yakuza, this is a bond that runs deep and he would not mind laying down his life for Naruto. The Uzumaki feels the same way.**

 **2\. Kazuichi Soda: Confused and scared to be betrayed. He often times feels jealous and thinks he can never be as perfect as Naruto. However, he's realized that Naruto isn't perfect and is happy to call him friend. He no longer holds Naruto up on a pedestal and as a result the two have grown closer, but is still jealous of him due to Naruto's popularity with the girls.**

 **3\. Teruteru Hanamura: A fake front of richness. A total mama's boy, he is completely smitten with Naruto. He wishes to one day present him as his "wife" to his mother. Thankfully, he's learned to not care about titles or outwardly image as he had before. He's still a total pervert, and a very dangerous one at that.**

 **4\. Gundham Tanaka: Claimed to love solitude, wished for companionship like no other. He's been able to form all types of bonds thanks to his acceptance of Naruto's words. He regards Naruto as a close friend, to the point that he's happy to include the blond in his work. No longer fears the dangers of bonds and will welcome them, as he now thinks they will only make him stronger.**

 **5\. Ryota Mitarai: Confused about himself, unable to express himself. He was the one to challenge Naruto the most in the beginning, refusing to believe that there was any merit in his talent or himself. He's now been more accepting of the Uzumaki and wishes to be more like him, to be able to inspire people in his own way. He's also started to have more of a positive attitude toward his talent, and feels like one day he can be completely honest with Naruto and the rest of his friends. To show who he truly he is.**

 **6\. Nekomaru Nidai: Boisterous and upfront, tender and understanding. He took an instant liking to Naruto, seeing great value in his spirit and athleticism. Much like Sonia, he regards Naruto as a great leader and will fully support him on the path to world peace. Other than Fuyuhiko, there is no denying that Naruto shares a very strong connection with him as the two have trained together for many hours and days.**

 **7\. Nagito Komaeda: One word, Self-loathing. It wasn't until meeting Naruto that Nagito began to experience some amount of self-love, even if he didn't like it at first. He thinks of himself as unworthy to be in Naruto's presence, as he fully believes that Naruto is the existence he's been searching for a long time. He will follow Naruto anywhere, and is willing to protect him at all cost. But perhaps deep down he wishes for more?**


	26. and gunfire breaks out

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25:  
** **...and gunfire breaks out**

Kyoko was annoyed. She didn't show it of course. Years of being a detective had taught her to always hide her emotions. You never knew who could be watching. This led many to believe that she didn't feel anything. That she was something of an ice queen.

This couldn't be further from the truth.

Kyoko had plenty of emotions, just like any other person. But she always made sure to bury them, as her grandfather had taught her. In order to be the best detective, something like that was necessary.

But as already stated, this didn't stop Kyoko from feeling. And right now, she was definitely feeling annoyed.

Why?

Because she had to take Kirumi with her on her investigation. Hayama's request and all that nonsense.

It was an oversight on her part. Once she arrived on that island, she should have known that Hayama would want to know when she left and for what purpose. Even if she tried to lie, it wouldn't change anything. Hayama would still send someone with her. The recent attacks were enough of an excuse to justify this.

Kyoko still didn't like it.

"Let me make it clear right now." That's why, when the two girls arrived at the bar that morning, Kyoko faced Kirumi with a somewhat challenging look. "I'm not sure what your master ordered you to do, but if you try to interfere with my work, I won't hesitate to retaliate."

Was it an empty threat? Kirumi couldn't know. At the very least, the maid admired the way Kyoko was being upfront with her. It definitely saved a lot of trouble for the both of them.

"There is nothing for you to worry about, Kirigiri-sama." Kirumi didn't bat an eye to Kyoko's threat. "I am not here to get in your way. I'm merely here for support. If I can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to rely on me."

It wasn't a lie. Hayama hadn't told her to do anything that might disrupt Kyoko's investigation. It was just the man being hopeful again, confident that no matter what Kyoko managed to discover his family would be found innocent.

Kirumi had no real thoughts on the matter. She only served.

Or so she told herself.

Kyoko kept her gaze on Kirumi for a few more moments, probably trying to see if she could find a lie in those words. When she was satisfied, she turned her focus back to the bar.

Silently, Kirumi hoped that Naruto was able to follow them here without any problem. She would have no way of knowing, though, especially now that they were going inside.

As the two stepped inside the bar, they found the place pretty deserted. Not surprising really, as the bar wasn't officially opened at this hour. They did see several drunkards passed out in booths, on the floor, and even one on the pool table.

How classy.

There was a single man standing behind the counter. He had dark skin and was bald and had a rather impressive physique. He was still in uniform, so it wasn't hard to deduce that he was the bartender.

"We're not open anymore." He didn't bother to look up from the glass cup he was holding. He sounded rather annoyed too. Maybe it was because he had to deal with all the drunks passed out in his bar?

Kyoko didn't care for this. She approached the counter with Kirumi in tow. "We're not here as customers."

At those words, the man finally looked up. When he saw them, he felt another headache coming.

"What the hell? Don't you kids know any better? Coming in here. What do you want? Trying to get me arrested?"

And his license revoked. Not a fun day for anyone involved.

"That all depends on your answers."

Kyoko's statement made the man sort of amused. "What are you saying, missy?"

"I'm here looking for information about one of your employees. His name is Watanabe Aito."

The man said nothing in response. He just looked at the two girls, almost like he was trying to see if they were real or not.

"Am I dreaming? That could actually work out for me. I don't want to work anymore. Last night was one hell of a-"

"Please, I'm not here to waste time." Kyoko wasn't interested in the man's rambling. "Whatever information you can give me on this person would be greatly appreciated."

The man leaned over the counter. "And what does that matter to you?"

"Do you really care?"

"When a random girl comes into _my_ bar like she owns the place and starts asking about one of my employees, you bet I care."

So he was the owner. Good to know.

Kyoko knew she found the right man. "Your employee was involved in an assassination attempt last night. More specifically, he tried to kill me."

The man almost dropped the glass cup he was holding.

"You shitting me!?"

Was his reaction reassuring? Kirumi couldn't tell.

"That son of a bitch." The man almost collapsed on the counter as he held his head. "I knew he got involved with the wrong people. If only I pressured him to tell me everything…."

His mumbling wasn't lost to Kyoko. "You know something? About why he might have done this? Like, for example, who hired him?"

If she could just have that information…..

The man focused back on them. Any semblance of playfulness he had was completely gone now. He couldn't be sure, but his gut instinct told him that Kyoko was involved with the police somehow. But a girl this young?

What a strange world this was.

"You might not believe this, missy, but most folks around here struggle to make it afloat. When you're desperate, the world has a strange way of sending vultures your way. If you catch my meaning."

Oh?

Kirumi was already sort of aware of this honestly. From what she heard speaking to other employees at the mansion, many people in this town weren't exactly rolling in money. It was supposedly one of the poorer areas of the whole country. That's why Hayama's party was almost like a godsend in some ways. With so many wealthy people gathered in one place, they brought in money as well as job opportunities to the people that needed it. Not that it lasted very long, but still.

Kyoko crossed her arms. "I'm not looking for double entendres. I want specific information. Your employee already killed someone before. _At_ _least_. If you knew who put him up to this, then-"

"I don't know anything about that." He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and started to pull one out before lighting it. "The idiot wouldn't tell me anything. All I know is that he came into some money recently. Cash. Real big amount. The kind you don't get that quick through legal means. Wouldn't tell me where he got it. He was also excited about something else. Probably another job." He shrugged. "More than likely to kill you if I had to guess."

So heartwarming.

"You seem rather laid back about this," Kirumi pointed out, her tone accusatory. "Does it not bother you that you had a killer so close to you?"

The man didn't look bothered by Kirumi's words. "Not in the slightest. Like I already told you, a lot of people around here are always desperate to just stay alive. Do I regret not stopping him? Of course. But he wasn't a bad person. That, I'm sure of."

A victim of circumstance? Is that what he was getting at? Kirumi hated that sort of excuse.

But she didn't pursue the issue.

Kyoko was grateful for that as she still had other questions she needed answered.

"When did he start working here? Do you know if he was employed elsewhere? When did he come into town? Do you know if he might have lived somewhere else?"

"You're a real curious little gal, aren't you?" The man savored the cigarette. How anyone could, Kirumi didn't know. She wasn't a smoker. "I don't know anything about his past. Aito wouldn't talk about it. All I know is that he moved here around two years ago. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."

For normal people, this might seem like a dead end. For Kyoko, it confirmed several suspicious she already had. For one thing, there was no denying that this Aito person was a professional assassin. Moving here and working at this bar was more than likely just a front for him. Now, he could have done this for two reasons. Either he moved here of his own volition, or someone ordered him to. This was the real tricky part for her. Kyoko couldn't know for sure if Aito was part of a bigger organization or if he was a lone wolf, so to speak.

'Maybe if I visited where he stayed I could find out….'

It was a long shot, as Kyoko was certain he would have gotten rid of anything major. But better than nothing, right?

Those thoughts faded when the man spoke again.

"You don't have to answer, since I can already put it together…..but Aito is dead, isn't he?"

From the way Kyoko spoke about him in the past tense….it wasn't hard to read between the lines.

Kyoko stared back at him, her face betraying nothing.

What else could she say but the truth?

"Yes."

There was nothing more to it than that. Did Kyoko hate Aito for what he had tried to do? She couldn't answer that. She hadn't really thought about it. It wasn't that she had dismissed it from her mind. It just wasn't important. All that mattered was the mission right now.

It was almost like the man took a punch to the stomach, but he took it standing.

"I see."

The answer was expected, but it still hurt.

There was a somber silence between them, but that soon ended when the sound of gunfire exploded outside.

Looks like things were about to get more interested.

* * *

" _The FN P90 is one of the most widely used sub-machine guns at this time. It was first developed in Belgium but is now used by over forty nations throughout the world, with many different variants. It is totally rad!"_

 _That last part wasn't something you might typically hear in a lesson about guns, but Naruto was used to Sonia's little quirks by this point._

 _The blond made sure to remember all he could as the princess showcased said gun to him. It wasn't the only one she had._

 _Inside the classroom they were in, which they had reserved for today, Sonia had brought it in all the guns she was acquainted with. Which, believe it or not, happened to be more than Naruto had first guessed._

 _He had to wonder for a moment if bringing all these weapons in was legal, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Even if it wasn't, Hope's Peak Academy would make it so._

 _How Sonia got them was a different story. Being a princess had its benefits, that's for sure._

 _The desks had all sorts of weapons piled on them. From simple handguns to even machine guns._

 _Incredible._

" _You were trained to use all of these, Sonia?"_

" _But of course!" The blonde was more than happy to showcase this as she picked up one of the handguns. If Naruto could remember correctly, its name was something like Smith & Wesson….?_

' _I hope I got that right.'_

 _He was slowly getting it._

" _My kingdom doesn't manufacture any firearms. That is why we make sure to stay up to date with the production of weapons. We don't want our military to fall behind."_

 _To tell the truth, this was the first time Naruto was truly acknowledging the fact that Sonia was indeed a princess. All this talk about military and whatnot. It definitely showed him that Sonia wasn't like the others here. Well, Fuyuhiko might compare. Sonia's duties were on a grander scale, though._

' _Although it's not everyday you see a princess be trained in combat.'_

 _It sort of broke that weak princess stereotype, didn't it? But again, Naruto didn't mind this side of her. If anything, he would be lying if he didn't admit that it was kind of attractive. Seeing Sonia holding a gun with such confidence had a certain charm to it._

 _Naruto couldn't put it into words. He just liked it. But that was the norm with him, wasn't it? Attracted to girls who could defend themselves, that is._

' _Probably got it from dad.'_

 _It was the only way to explain it, especially since he ended up with someone like Kushina._

 _But that wasn't important right now._

 _"How cool_ _."_

 _A third voice spoke up. Naruto and Sonia weren't alone in the classroom. Surprising to the whiskered blond, Chiaki had decided to tag along with them, saying she wanted to be a part of the lesson for today._

" _I've only ever seen guns in video games before. There's a different feel to them in person."_

 _Ooooorrr maybe he shouldn't be all that surprised._

" _Guns are dangerous." Sonia set the handgun back on the desk. "I believe it is wise to get acquainted with them to understand that."_

 _Hmm. Was that why her kingdom pushed for a course in firearms? Naruto could see the logic behind it._

 _Sonia then looked at Naruto with a curious gaze. "I am rather surprised to hear that your village doesn't have weapons. How do you defend yourself?"_

" _We do have weapons. Just not like these."_

 _The closest his dimension came was probably canons. But these so-called guns were on far different scale._

" _I see." Sonia smiled. "Well, it can't be helped. I don't mind teaching you what I know. I can't say you'll be an expert, but…."_

 _Naruto shook his head. "I don't need to go that far. Maybe later, when I have time. For now, I just want to make sure I know enough so that I'm not caught off-guard."_

 _He didn't want to be caught unprepared like when he was taking that practice test._

 _Flexing her arm, Sonia smiled some more and said, "You got it! Becoming more acquainted with weapons is one of the requirements, so it's definitely a plus."_

 _Requirements? What requirements?_

" _Uh, what are you talking about, Sonia?"_

" _Not to worry. We can discuss that later!"_

 _Naruto and Chiaki looked at one another before shrugging._

 _Oh well. It was time for more training._

* * *

Naruto was sure he had learned a lot thanks to Sonia, but still. There was nothing quite like getting shot at for real. To know that someone was actually trying to kill you…..it got the blood pumping to say the least.

And now. He wasn't a battle-loving maniac, honest.

Thanks to his instincts, Naruto was already running across the rooftop as the assassin unleashed a barrage of bullets on him. His trench coat could protect him, true, but Naruto wasn't taking any chances. A bullet to the head and he was done for. Easy as that.

Naruto wasn't going to risk it.

"Ohohoho, what speed!" The assassin looked to be enamored by Naruto's skills. "I thought this was going to be boring, but it looks like I can have some fun with ya!"

Naruto wasn't able to respond as he kept running. The rooftop didn't have any cover for him to use, so he was stuck running for the time being. He just needed an opening.

Not that he had to wait for too long as the rain of bullets soon stopped. That was the problem with guns. Once you ran out of bullets, you were exposed. The perfect opening Naruto needed.

Having already been anticipating this, Naruto didn't waste anytime in rushing toward the assassin. He didn't hold back his speed, but even so the assassin was still able to react in time to evade the strike that was coming. Not fully, though, as Naruto was able to slash through the military vest he had on. The slash wasn't deep enough unfortunately, so the man's flesh was spared.

As the assassin jumped back to get some distance, he whistled in appreciation.

"Tough knife you got there. Never seen anything like it. And that speed. Managing to graze me like that. Not bad."

This guy…..what kind of personality did you have to have to act all easygoing at a time like this?

As it turns out, Naruto wasn't in such a laid back move, something the unnamed assassin learned firsthand as the blond charged for him again.

"Woah there!" Already knowing he wasn't going to be able to reload in time, the assassin didn't hesitate to toss the gun away and pull out his combat knife from its holster.

Naruto saw this, but he didn't hesitate. The two met right in the middle of the rooftop, kunai clashing against knife. Here, Naruto learned something else that was interesting.

This guy was no lightweight. He had superb upper body strength.

"Stripping me of all my weapons." The assassin let out a fake cry. "Whatever am I going to do now?"

Naruto saw the remaining pistol that he still held, so he wasn't falling for that one.

"The charge is going to be extra now, though. Dealing with you wasn't part of the job."

"So you're here to kill Kyoko."

Like that wasn't obvious already.

"That's correct. Which is why we don't have to fight."

"Says the guy who tried to kill me just now."

"Ah, fair point." Even though his bottom face was covered, Naruto could still tell the man was grinning. "Couldn't resist, though. It's not everyday you see someone like you. Speaking of which, just what are you doing here?"

"Right now? Stopping you."

"Ahahaha, is that right? I guess trying to talk my way out of this one isn't going to cut it, hm?"

What else did he expect?

"Well." If he could, the assassin would have shrugged. "What can you do?"

No more words were said as the two broke off their initial clash for just a moment before they rushed back in for round two. Only now, it wasn't just a single exchange. This time, the two went in with several attacks, slashing at one another with unrelenting force. Just one cut was all they needed. They were sure of it.

As the kunai and knife continued to meet more and more forcibly, sparks began to fly between them.

Naruto started to see that his training with Peko had paid off considerably as he reacted perfectly to every attack the assassin threw his way. Before, he wasn't bad with a kunai. But he was no Sasuke in this area.

"T'ch." Naruto heard the annoyed clicking of the man's teeth as their clash continued. He probably wasn't enjoying the kunai-versus-knife struggle this had turned into. His moves would indicate otherwise, as he kept up with Naruto just fine.

The two moved like blurs across the rooftop, ducking and pouncing. It was a sight to see.

It wasn't long before he found an opening through the man's attacks. As he had done so far, Naruto was able to block the incoming knife strike with his kunai, but he didn't stop with a simple block. The blond managed to knock aside the man's hand that was holding the combat knife while simultaneously pulling out a second kunai from his sleeve. He had a clear path right for the assassin.

From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if Naruto was going to kill him. But the blond and assassin both knew that wasn't the case.

For one thing, the Uzumaki wasn't targeting a vital point. That was enough for the assassin to understand what Naruto was trying to do.

'Trying to disable me, huh?'

Probably to interrogate him. But the assassin couldn't have that. Being captured wasn't part of the job here.

That's when Naruto found out that he was also under attack as the man pulled out the pistol he still had with his other hand. As he had reacted almost in unison with Naruto, the two were pouncing on the other at pretty much the same time. Under these circumstances, Naruto knew he was at a disadvantage. The pistol made sure of that.

That's why, as annoying as it was, Naruto was forced to retreat just as the assassin began to fire a few rounds from the pistol. The masked blond ducked before rolling back just as the man continued to fire on him. One bullet managed to graze his trench coat, but it was no big deal.

With his rolling, Naruto was able to put just enough distance between himself and the man who fired off the remainder of his shots.

The assassin couldn't help but laugh some more. "You have excellent moves there, kid! Oh yeah, you definitely remind me of her!"

Grunting, Naruto came to a stop just as the man ran out of bullets again.

"Should I even ask?"

"No. Because our fun is about to be interrupted."

Naruto didn't need to question what the man was talking about as he heard the sirens in the distance.

"I think it's about time we both got out of here. Unless we want to spend the night behind bars."

The man made a point. Trying to explain himself to the police would be too much of a headache. He didn't want to be stuck in another police station again. That would just ruin everything. And Naruto was pretty aware by now that he wasn't going to be able to restrain the man before the police arrived.

'I hate it when the bad guy is right.'

But just in case….

The assassin found himself rolling out of the way next as Naruto unleashed a barrage of shuriken on him. But he didn't just evade them. As Naruto had done so earlier with one of the bullets, the unnamed man managed to block one of the shuriken with his combat knife, perfectly highlighting his superb reflexes.

Naruto hated that too.

The assassin didn't seem to mind. If anything, he was once again amused by Naruto's reaction. "Ha, testy aren't we?'

That was one way to put it.

There was a bit of a stare off between them. Naruto was almost tempted to use his wire, but he was sure the man could cut right through it with his combat knife.

The stare off couldn't last forever, though, and it was the man who turned away first.

However, just before he made his escape, the assassin made sure to throw a wave Naruto's way.

"It was nice facing you, kid. But know this. I won't be so unprepared next time."

With those parting words, the assassin picked up the discarded sniper rifle before jumping down from the rooftop.

'If I could follow him…..'

Naruto considered that option for just a moment before deciding against it. Trying to fight in public would only lead to more similar results, and he was sure the assassin would know if he was being followed back to wherever it was he was staying. He gave off that kind of aura.

'You won't be the only one who's ready next time.'

Now Naruto knew. There was a powerful enemy out there. He wasn't going to be letting his guard down anytime soon.

* * *

It was hard for Naruto to say what happened after that. He didn't know what Kyoko and Kirumi did after his fight, but he had a feeling that it was Kyoko who called the cops. It was something Naruto would have wanted to avoid, but there was nothing he could do about it.

If only the cops hadn't arrived so quickly, maybe he could have apprehended that guy. Then maybe he could have some answers.

If only.

The blond had retreated back to the docks to change back into his butler disguise while ditching his other uniform for now. He didn't know if that assassin would return again, but that concern faded from his mind when he saw Kyoko and Kirumi heading back to the docks as well.

'So soon.'

Had Kyoko discovered something?

Naruto had no way of knowing yet. Either way, after seeing Kyoko and Kirumi hitch a ride on the boat they came in on, he had no reason to stay in the mainland so he had the other boat take him back as well. Not through the main entrance of course.

On the way, Naruto felt a stinging pain coming from his back. More specifically, his upper back. It was right where the assassin had first shot him. The only direct shot if he recalled. As he had been in a hurry, Naruto hadn't bother to check himself over for any injuries he might have gotten from that little scuffle while he was changing.

Looks like he had another troublesome thing to take care of.

That's what the blond was thinking once he returned to the island. Along the way, he noticed a rather big vessel nearby. What was it called?

A yacht?

Probably right.

Naruto made sure to remember that as he walked back to the mansion. He wanted to get in touch with Kirumi right away, but dealing with the annoying pain came first.

He marched to his room, where he quickly discarded the coat and shirt. He was left shirtless, and using the mirror in the room he was able to get a good look at his back. Sure enough, he saw the red spot right where the assassin had first shot him. The bullet might not have been able to pierce his trench coat, but it definitely left a little present behind.

'Troublesome.'

It probably ended up like this because it was a direct hit. Definitely some good information to take into account for future battles.

'Now how to get rid of this-'

His train of thought ceased when the door to his room was opened, with Kirumi emerging from the other side.

"Uzumaki-sama, I have-"

She paused when she saw what he was doing, taking note of the red mark on his skin. Right away she knew what he was doing.

She stepped into the room.

"Do you require assistance?"

Naruto beamed.

Yes, please!

* * *

"Thanks for this, Kirumi. I had no idea where this stuff was. Probably would have taken longer too. You're a life saver."

"I believe you're exaggerating, Uzumaki-sama. This is basic treatment."

"Better than what I can do."

"You never learned? I figured someone like you would know the basics, fighting and all."

"Ha, unfortunately no. I did have one good friend who was the best healer, though."

And now there was Mikan. How lucky was he?

Kirumi seemed to find more humor in his words as she applied some cream on his irritated skin. She was also looking to leave a pad to help keep the cream and moister in. Supposedly that would help. Not that Naruto knew for sure. He was just letting the maid do her thing.

Naruto was still without his shirt, not needing it right now.

The two stayed in Naruto's room. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed with Kirumi standing over him to apply the ointment in order to stop any itching and help sooth the damaged area. Beyond that, they would need to go to a hospital, but Naruto didn't think that was necessary. The damage wasn't _that_ severe.

"You attracted a lot of attention today."

Naruto turned a bit sheepish. "So you heard the gunfire."

"Kind of hard to miss, Uzumaki-sama." Kirumi sighed a little. "You are reckless, aren't you?"

Yeah, basically.

"What even happened? By the time Kirigiri-sama and I joined the police, no one was there."

So they searched the rooftop?

"There was another assassin. This was one a lot tougher than the last one too. He's the one who left me with this parting gift."

That made sense.

"So they came again." Kirumi was a bit surprised. She would have thought the mastermind would wait a bit more before making their next move. Were they really _that_ desperate?

"Did you find anything interesting?"

She didn't ask "did you stop them?" Kirumi could kinda guess what had happened on her own based on Naruto's words.

"No. I can't say I did."

Naruto openly frowned, not that Kirumi could see it.

"What about you guys?"

It was Kirumi's turn to frown. "The bar wasn't really much help as far as I can see. However, Kirigiri-sama inspected that rooftop you fought on. That is where you two fought, right?"

"Yeah."

"She thought so as well. She and the police found a weapon there, as well as many shell casings. It must have been quite a firefight."

Only one person was doing the shooting, though.

'Hm, I guess they must not have found my shuriken then.'

Lucky him?

"Kirigiri-sama showed great interest in the gun and the shell casings. That is why we returned so quickly. She said she needed to make some calls." Kirumi then added, "She kind of suspected that another assassin was after her, and that you stopped them. That's why she felt better returning. Just in case."

It had saved Naruto some trouble, so he was happy with that.

'Looks like I need to speak to Kyoko again.'

He had no idea what lead she was following now, but if it helped solve this case quicker then he wanted to be a part of it.

A natural silence followed after, as Kirumi finished "patching" him up so to speak. As she did, Kirumi picked up on a rather peculiar detail. Naruto's back was free of any scars or anything that would indicate that he was a fighter.

How odd.

"Have you been in many battles, Uzumaki-sama?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"Why do you ask?"

"Color me curious. Your skin does not belong to that of a warrior. It's in perfect condition I say. No scars or anything."

Apart from the red spot of course.

Naruto stopped himself from chuckling, his eyes darkening just a bit. "Let's just say I used to be able to heal very quickly."

Kirumi's lips thinned. "I see."

Such a non-answer.

Kirumi wanted to ask more, but she could tell that he wasn't going to expand on his answer.

Frustrating? Quite so.

Well, scars or not, Kirumi could see that Naruto's muscles spoke a different story on his background. These muscles weren't that of a model or even a weight lifter. No, these were the kind of muscles that were meant to be used. Regularly. They were very well-defined, almost as if the muscles had muscles of their own.

How very strange yet fascinating at the same time.

At the very least Kirumi could confirm that fighting had played a very big role in Naruto's life.

"Since you asked me a question, can I ask one in return?"

Oh?

"Well, if we're returning favors, I can't say I'll give you the answer you want. But sure. Ask away."

Was she pouting?

Naruto couldn't tell, but he was too curious to back down.

"Do you and Hasashi have a romantic relationship?"

If only Naruto had turned around, then he wouldn't have missed the look of surprise that flashed on Kirumi's face. She masked it quickly, but not completely.

"What makes you ask something like that?"

"I sort of overheard your conversation with him last night. It wasn't on purpose, and I apologize. But…."

It had happened, and nothing was going to change that.

If they were romantically involved, Naruto couldn't help but cringe at the idea. Kirumi probably wasn't even fifteen yet. Was Hasashi taking advantage of her? Using his position to try and force her into a compromising situation.

"You have the wrong idea." Kirumi stepped back, finished with her work. "He merely wants me to help him with his ambitions."

"Sounded more personal to me than that."

Naruto could now turn to face Kirumi directly, and he saw that his question had upset her quite a bit. But he still wasn't going to back down.

"He might have….confessed his feelings, perhaps," Kirumi said slowly, unsure of what to admit and what not to.

"Just because you're working here doesn't mean you have to put up with his advances."

Especially when she clearly wasn't responsive to them.

"The boundaries have been set."

"Yeah, but does he know that?"

"A maid can't insult her master, Uzumaki-sama." Kirumi shook her head. "Even if I work directly for Akira-sama, his children are-"

"That's a load of crap, and you know it." Not mincing his words as usual, Naruto stood up so that he could see her eye-to-eye. Well, he was actually taller than her, but never mind that. "You said before that a maid is nothing without her master, but that isn't true. A maid is only a position. What matters is the person that's inside. And based on what I heard last night, there's a definitely a person in you."

It was quite painful for the blond, but he was reminded of Haku and the words he had said all those years ago. Peko was in that category too. About being nothing but a tool. Kirumi was trying to put on a similar act, but this time Naruto was able to see through it rather easily. It was because he had overheard that conversation the previous night.

He pressed on. "You have a dream of your own, right?"

Kirumi flinched somewhat. "So. You overheard that as well."

Naruto looked away for a moment. "Yes. I apologize for that too. But it definitely helped me get to see the person in you."

"Even though I merely wish to serve another?"

"It didn't sound that way to me." Naruto smiled. "Otherwise, you would have accepted Hasashi's proposal. You're looking for something more special than that, right?"

Kirumi froze. She was sure she hadn't shared any details to the short answer she had given Hasashi. Then how could Naruto know….?

"Call it a hunch of mine." Crossing his arms, Naruto nodded to himself. Like a little kid who had answered a question correctly. "I don't think you would have said something like that if there wasn't a strong reason behind it."

"You don't know me well enough to say something like that," Kirumi argued weakly. To her it was weak anyway.

Naruto hummed. "I guess that's true too." He then smiled again. "But I think I'm right. You want to find someone special. To create a special bond with another. It doesn't sound like the standard maid-master relationship to me."

Saying it like that only made Kirumi's cheeks burn.

"Y-You're too shameful, Uzumaki-sama. Saying something like that so boldly….."

Oh wow, was she stuttering? This was a rare treat.

"I've been told that a lot." Especially as of late. What was up with that? "Anyway, I don't know the specifics, but I can tell you that you're not just a tool. Besides, do you want to diminish the role of a maid to just that? I thought you of all people would have more pride in your work."

Kirumi didn't get it. First he said she wasn't just a maid, but now he was saying that she should embrace that she was one?

"I don't really understand you…."

That was putting it mildly. He had to be most confusing person Kirumi had ever met.

"Hm, really?" Naruto didn't seem to mind, probably because she wasn't trying to insult him. "Don't sell yourself short is what I'm saying. Whether you want to be a maid or whatever. And don't give up on finding that special one. I can't say if you'll ever find that person, but if you give up on that dream then it definitely won't come true."

Dreams were precious like that. That's what Naruto believed anyway. He had fought a whole war to preserve that, so yeah. It was something he felt strongly about.

Something flashed inside Kirumi's eyes, but Naruto couldn't tell what it was. It was gone too quickly for him to decipher it.

"What is your dream, Uzumaki-sama?"

His dream? That was an easy one.

"Peace."

* * *

Kyoko already knew he was coming. She didn't even see him enter her room but she could tell he was there.

"You're late."

Wearing his gear again, Naruto dropped into the room from the open window to find Kyoko sitting on the bed with her arms crossed.

"Someone's pouty."

Kyoko didn't look amused. "What happened out there?"

Naruto shrugged, silently thanking Kirumi for the ointment. It definitely felt soothing.

"What do you think? Someone was coming after you. Again."

"So you were there."

"Of course I was."

Naruto glanced out the window. Unlike his, Kyoko's offered a nice view out to the sea. He could see the yacht he noticed earlier in the distance.

Kirumi had already explained to him what the deal with that was before he came here. It was actually Hayama's. During the day, he took out his guests out on it for a "fishing trip." Only that they apparently didn't fish but just drank, talked, and gambled the day away.

How entertaining.

"Well, even if it wasn't intentional, I must thank you for the new lead you provided me with," she said after a moment of silence.

Naruto crossed his arms. "And about saving your life?"

Wasn't that more important than some lead?

Here, Kyoko came to a pause. She started to openly study him, like he was some sort of puzzle to her. In retrospect, Naruto supposed he was.

"I can't help but wonder about that."

Wonder about what?

Getting to her feet, Kyoko made her way closer to him. It made Naruto sort of uncomfortable if he was being honest. It felt like he was being stalked or something.

When she stopped, the girl was closer to him than she had been ever before. Apart from the time he tackled her of course. Was it because she was more comfortable with him? Or maybe because she was confident he really wasn't going to kill her?

Naruto couldn't say for sure.

Then, she spoke again.

"Why did you save me again? That isn't part of your job, right?"

As far as she knew.

"The situation was different from last night," she continued. "You happened to be there when I was attacked. But now, it's almost like you went out of your way to protect me."

"What? Was I supposed to just let you get killed?"

"Most people would."

"I'm not most people."

Kyoko frowned. Naruto saw the suspicion in her eyes, even though she tried not to show it. "What is your true motive? Really?"

At this, Naruto kept silent. She was already suspecting him? _Again_?

'What the hell, man.'

He was sure he hadn't raised any more flags!

Or maybe that was just her personality? To doubt others until there was _absolutely_ no room left for suspicion?

"I already told you why I'm here."

That's all Naruto could say after staying quiet. It probably wouldn't do anything, but it's all he had at the moment.

Sure enough, Kyoko wasn't convinced, not a bit. But further bickering would be pointless. She understood this, which is why she was quick to move on.

"In any event, I suspect we may finally have our true answer by tonight."

Naruto perked up when he heard this. "True answer" could only mean one thing.

The mastermind.

"Are you sure?"

Just what had she found out?

Keeping her stoic look, Kyoko followed Naruto's example and looked out the window. She too saw the yacht in the distance.

"Yes. I just need something from you first."

Naruto was ready for anything.

At last, things were finally coming to a head.

* * *

" _She's not dead."_

"I'm aware. I was there."

" _Why is she not dead? Weren't you supposed to be the best? That's what I paid you for."_

"That's what it says on the brochure."

" _This is not a joke. I already had one failure. Even though I was promised he was one of the better ones, he still died."_

"You can't blame the kid. Turns out the girl has a protector watching over her."

There was silence. How amusing. So they didn't know?

" _What are you talking about?"_

"Why do you think I wasn't able to do it?" This time, that is. "Yeah, looks like someone put a watchdog over her. A very dangerous one too. It's no wonder your first choice couldn't do it."

That cult had some impressive assassins amongst their ranks, but this masked blond was something else.

More silence. He would have laughed. He only held himself back because he really wasn't in the mood to hear more whining. If he did, he was sure he would kill the client instead. And that wasn't good for business, as he'd learned over the past year.

" _I see. I never considered that option. I guess that's what happens when you try to be cheap."_

Indeed.

"That's why I'm asking for double the agreed amount. Otherwise, I'm out."

There was no real reason for the demand. The man was more than happy to do this job for free now that he knew he could have some fun with it. But money was money, and he had bills to pay.

Well, not bills exactly. But you get the drift.

" _If her protector was able to stop you, then I suppose it can't be helped."_

Hey now, the brat didn't _stop_ him. He was only forced to fall back for a bit. Now that he knew someone like that was involved, he could bring out his real toys. Things wouldn't end the same way for a second time.

" _How are you planning on doing this? I doubt she'll be that exposed again."_

"Why don't you leave that to me, hm? I left behind a little trail for her to follow. If she's as good as you say, then she'll be right where I want her."

" _What did you say? If this can be traced back to me, then-"_

"Stop complaining. It won't matter I tell you. She'll be dead in a few hours. You have my guarantee."

He ended the call after that, leaving him in nothing but silence and the darkness of the room he was in. The only light visible was the one coming from the lamp on the table, but it was very faint. Which worked just fine for him. He had long since gotten used to this solitary lifestyle.

'Now, boy. Let's see how good you really are.'

The man stepped closer to the light, just enough to see that he was not wearing his mask at the moment. This left his neck exposed, revealing a very noticeable wolf tattoo to the world.

It was time to go hunting.

* * *

 **I wonder how many will know what cult I'm talking about….well, one person already brought up the character it points to. So I'm sure a good number of you will figure it out.**

 **This was more of a setup chapter, aside from the initial fight, hence the shorter length than normal.**

 **Hmm. Funny. A 9,000 word chapter is the standard for this story. Weird.**

 **Hope it was enjoyable.**

 **Till next time.**


	27. Ninja vs Mercenary

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26:  
** **Ninja vs. Mercenary**

" _You look lost."_

 _If he were not used to her random appearances, he might have actually felt surprised to hear her voice behind him._

" _Lost? I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _He took a moment to appreciate the night sky above him. He knew he couldn't get a view like this from a more populated place. All the city lights would block out the light from the stars shining above._

 _It really had been a while since he had a moment of peace, huh._

 _How boring it was. How anyone could yearn for something like this was beyond him. He had only looked at the stars for a few seconds, and he was already sick of them. Why even worry about the stars when your life was here on Earth anyway? It wasn't like the stars were going to change your life in any meaningful way._

 _Truly, this was the height of retardation. Peace. Quiet. Tranquility. Pfft. Who needed those things. Surely not him._

" _I saw you leave earlier. I thought you might try something dumb, so I came to check on you."_

 _Dumb she said. How comical that was._

" _If you haven't noticed, we crossed that horizon a while ago. Actually, you crossed it sooner than any of us. Joining us like this. I think it's the dumbest thing I've come across."_

 _And that wasn't easily won, really. This world was full of dumb decisions. People making choices without realizing how stupid they were._

 _He was no different. He simply bitched about it more.  
_

" _You think so? I've actually had the most fun in my life since I joined you guys. It feels like I actually matter."_

 _More dumb stuff._

" _We don't matter. Weren't you a part of the discussion just now?"_

" _Isn't that why we're disbanding? Because we matter_ _ **too**_ _much?"_

 _That was a funny way of looking at things._

 _If he was a better debater, then he might have tried to counter her point. But he wasn't one for words. Shooting. Killing. Fighting. That was all him._

 _Not talking, though._

" _What do you want, Mukuro? Or did you come here only to annoy me for one last time?"_

 _The girl known as Ikusaba Mukuro didn't answer him right away. She seemed to follow in his example and take in the sights, night sky and all. She was resting against the wall behind him, arms crossed over the white plain shirt she frequently wore._

 _There wasn't anything interesting to look at, though. He didn't think so anyway. This town was a dump._

' _That's kinda why we're here, though.'_

 _He had no idea what this place was called, or where it was exactly. He hadn't bothered to pay attention. He just knew that it was somewhere in Saudi Arabia, far away from any of the big cities. Ah, maybe it was just a village instead? That would make more sense. Wait, did it even make a difference?_

 _Their group, the Fenrir Mercenary Corps, had rented out this little house that looked ready to collapse at any moment. And even then, it still looked better than most of the other buildings around here. At least this house had a little balcony up on the second floor, where he and Mukuro currently were. A nice little touch, even if there was nothing to admire._

" _Are you really leaving?" That was Mukuro's question. The strongest of them, asking something like that._

 _Should he be flattered? Mukuro rarely spoke to others, preferring to simply follow orders and stay out of their way. It had its charm, in a certain anti-social way.  
_

" _We're all leaving," he answered simply.  
_

" _It hasn't been decided yet."_

" _It's only a matter of time. Tensions are high."_

 _And not just among them. The group had acquired quite a reputation over the years, so much so that they were known internationally now. But with that popularity came problems too. They had been around a while, picking up many state secrets along the way. Because of this, many nations were starting to see them as a liability rather than an asset._

 _Many of the members were starting to get fed up. He could see it. None of them wanted to die over something so pointless. It was the only thing he agreed with them on._

" _We all knew this little club wasn't going to last forever," he added after a moment's silence. "Sooner or later, we were gonna move on. If it wasn't from this, then something else."_

 _Every one in the group was self-centered, caring only about themselves. He was no different. The only reason their group was even founded in the first place was because they could make more money this way. Well, he hadn't joined for that reason personally. But most of the others were like that._

 _He still didn't know why Mukuro had decided to stick around for so long. Although he had a sneaking suspicion that she was like him, not caring about the money but instead just enjoying the thrill of it all. That "fun" comment of hers only reinforced this belief._

 _Mukuro glanced back into the house. She knew exactly what he was talking about. None of them were friends. Not even close. The best emotion they felt toward one another was respect. They certainly respected her at least. How could they not? A fifteen year old girl being able to survive alongside them under such circumstances. It was more than admirable._

 _That's why Mukuro liked it here. It definitely felt like she mattered, like she had a purpose. When they were in the midst of a mission, when they battled their advisories, when they fulfilled their duty. Those were the only times she felt_ _ **alive**_ _._

 _And now, it was being taken from her. Mukuro didn't know what to feel exactly. Was she sad? Angry? Remorseful? It was only normal if she felt like that, right? Since she enjoyed being here so much. She didn't feel those things, though._

 _She just felt empty._

" _You should see this as a blessing if you ask me." He smirked a little. "You're still young. I'm sure you can do a lot more with your life."_

 _Mukuro mulled that over and came to an answer. Well, sort of an answer._

" _I do have a twin sister to return to."_

 _That was something, wasn't it?_

" _There ya go." He chuckled. "Most of us here don't have anyone to call family. You're lucky in that regard."_

 _What was family exactly? To Mukuro, the members of Fenrir was as close of a family as she ever had, even though they didn't act like it._

" _I don't know," she tried to choose her words carefully. "I did sort of abandon her." Mukuro looked down at this. "She might even hate me for it."_

" _Eh, who knows. They say familial bonds are one of the toughest things out there."_

 _Not that he believed that._

 _Mukuro looked at him. "What about you?"_

 _What about him?_

" _You're from Europe, aren't you? If I had to be more specific, I would say Eastern Europe."_

 _But beyond that, Mukuro had no idea._

 _He chuckled again. "What gave me away?"_

 _He had never told anyone where he came from. No one in Fenrir shared personal information like that. Why Mukuro admitted to having a sister was beyond him, but he wasn't going question it. The girl was weird like that. He understood that much._

" _Your accent I suppose. Although your Japanese has gotten much better over the years."_

 _He probably had her to thank for that. Other than her, he was probably the most fluent in Japanese in their group. He could speak all sorts of different languages, though. It was just something you picked up over time, especially when you traveled like he did._

" _I don't have anyone. I don't even know what country I was born in."_

 _The oldest memory he had was going through dumpsters in the streets of some random city in Romania. Did that make him Romanian?_

 _Who knows._

 _And he didn't much care._

 _There was more silence between them. It was Mukuro who broke it._

" _You're not going to stop, are you?"_

 _He knew exactly what she was talking about._

" _Fighting is all I'm about." He had made a life out of killing. He killed some bad people. He killed some good people. He made no distinction between the two. No one in Fenrir did. The difference between him and the others was that he took pleasure in it all. He had fun with it._

 _Or so he thought. He only recently found something even more fun than that._

" _It's a shame we didn't get to have a rematch before all of this." He finally turned away from the boring view of the town and faced Mukuro. "Before you came along, I was considered the best in the group. I was looking forward to reclaiming that title from you. I guess it'll have to wait."_

 _If they ever saw each other again that is._

 _Mukuro knew where she was going after this, but he did not. He would still keep the job, so to speak. Carry out any dirty job that was asked of him. Anything._

 _He was probably done with the Middle East, though. At least for a few years. It was just too damn hot and sandy for this tastes._

 _Mukuro took this in with a calm look. It was always hard to tell what she was thinking most of the time. Not that he was specially good at reading people mind you._

" _I suppose this is goodbye then, Petar."_

 _It was indeed._

 _He would be the first to officially leave Fenrir, but it wasn't long before the rest followed. It was only natural._

 _Mukuro would return to Japan, making national news as the once missing girl miraculously returned unharmed. The others would go their own way, hiding in plain sight. Returning to whatever lives they may have had before this. Or even making new ones_

 _Not him, though. He continued to be a mercenary for hire, doing all sorts of jobs just as he had as a member of Fenrir. It was this decision that would lead him to become involved with the Akira family and the tragedy that struck them._

 _It would also lead him to the most fun he had in a long time._

* * *

"You know, this is sort of awkward."

"Is something wrong, Uzumaki-sama? I'm confident someone with your strength shouldn't be bothered by something like this."

"I-It's not really about strength…."

"Then what is it?"

"I-I can't say…."

"I don't think I understand. If you don't voice your discomfort, then there's nothing I can do."

"Just forget it….."

Naruto's voice sounded absolutely defeated. This only got a curious look from Kirumi, but the girl said nothing else.

The awkwardness the blond mentioned earlier continued, though. How could it not? He was carrying two girls, after all. Two girls who had their bodies pressed up against him, one in the front and the other in the back.

How was this possible you may ask? Well, it was simple. For you see, Kyoko had indeed found something on the rooftop where Naruto and that assassin fought. Two things actually.

The gun and the shell casings. Apparently there was only one known gun trafficker in this area that had a history of selling that kind of weapon.

Odd really, as this raised many, many questions. Well, to Kyoko it did. Naruto was just happy there was another clue.

Kyoko wasn't convinced it was that simple. For one thing, the assassin had left that gun behind while Naruto told her that he had made sure to retrieve his sniper rifle before retreating. That alone was enough to make her think he had done this on purpose. Of course, one could always assume the assassin had more brawn than brain, but Kyoko was never one to ever underestimate an enemy. No matter who they were, she made sure to keep all options open until proven otherwise.

That's why she asked Naruto to follow her. She hated to admit this to herself, but she certainly felt safer if he was tagging along.

And she _really_ hated admitting that. Like, _really really_ despised herself for feeling this way. Trusting a stranger like this…..it just wasn't like her usual self.

Before they had departed from the island once more, Kirumi had asked to come along. Kyoko had insisted that this wasn't necessary, as she was sure this would lead to another confrontation with the assassin. She didn't want to risk Kirumi's life like that, especially since there was no need to.

Kirumi didn't care about that, though, and she had held her ground. Arguing with the maid would have only resulted in wasting time, something Kyoko wasn't keen on doing. The end result? Kirumi tagged along for the ride.

This led them to their current situation, with Naruto jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he carried both girls with him. He had Kyoko in his arms bridal style while Kirumi clung to his back, her arms wrapped around his neck. He could easily carry both girls, no problem, but as mentioned earlier he wasn't used to this sort of physical contact for this long.

Kyoko didn't mind, as she knew this was the fastest way to travel. She was even the one to suggest this in the first place. Waiting for a car or a taxi would have only been a waste of time.

"For the record, how do you know this guy is going to be there?"

Naruto was talking about the arms dealer of course. Apparently the police had a good profile on him and his usual spots. Why they didn't just arrest him was lost on the Uzumaki, but Kyoko had informed him that the arms dealer was apparently good bait to lure in other criminals. Sort of using a small fish to catch smaller fish and potentially bigger fish.

How this assassin managed to evade the radar of the police was unknown to Kyoko. It was just one of the many questions she had. The other major one being why he would go to such a small time arms dealer in the first place.

'No, that's not exactly true either.'

For one thing, the assassin had been armed with more than just the sub-machine gun. That's what the blond had told her at least. Where he got the sniper rifle was a mystery to her, or even the pistol. That's why she felt like this was a trap, a bait to lure her in. Especially since the clues were just so overt.

If she was just overthinking this then wonderful. If not…..well, they were about to be in serious business.

Now, it was only a matter of luck to see if they could find the arms dealer at any of his usual hangouts. According to the reports the police had shared with Kyoko, the arms dealer hadn't been seen making any moves for the past two days or so. The last time they had seen him was when he had moved to what he believed was his secret hideout in the other part of town.

That's where the trio was heading now. It was the likeliest spot as far as Kyoko was concerned, so they were going to check that first.

The likeliest, and also the sketchiest.

"A warehouse."

Naruto noted this as he touched down on the ground. He set Kyoko down while letting Kirumi climb down from his back. The three were now on solid ground, staring at the building before them.

It was an abandoned warehouse. Apparently it used to belong to a company that was based in the city before it went bankrupt, leaving the warehouse to ruin. Overtime it started to fall apart, leaving it in the state it was in.

This whole neighborhood was kind of rundown honestly, with many houses abandoned and left for sale. If anyone wanted to stay off the radar, this place was it.

"Let's get going."

Kyoko led the way. Naruto followed, with Kirumi coming in last. The trio used one of the side entrances to get in. There were many side passages and rooms, as well as three floors in total. They could search them all in due time, but Kyoko wanted to get a good look at the main room on the first floor before anything else. It was where the actual storing in the warehouse had been carried out when the place was in use. Now, it was empty. All that remained were the many pillars that were starting to rust.

Naruto also saw a catwalk above, connecting the second floor to the room. There was also what appeared to be an office connected directly to the catwalk.

The whole place was pretty dark, and it smelled funny too. Naruto's mask did little to block off the smell unfortunately.

"There's nothing here," Kirumi muttered as the three took their first steps inside the grand storage room.

It was almost like they were being pranked, as after Kirumi uttered those words Naruto's ears picked up on a rather distinct beeping. It was coming from inside the walls of the doorway they just walked through.

He had no idea what it was, but he wasn't the only one who heard it. Kyoko did as well, and when he saw her eyes widened in what could only be described as pure dread he realized it wasn't anything good.

It was pure instinct, what happened next. He didn't even think about it. He just grabbed both girls by the arm and threw them into the air like a couple of rag dolls. He probably yanked them a bit too hard, and he was sure that neither Kyoko nor Kirumi had been prepared for it.

But it couldn't be helped. There was no time for him to hold back.

Good thing too, as a split second after he threw them, a massive explosion overtook the doorway they just crossed, spreading to where they had been standing. The section of the catwalk just above the explosion started to collapse, tumbling down with the rest of the debris. It was only thanks to Naruto's speed that the two girls were able to come out of it unharmed.

Well. They were unharmed, but Naruto wasn't so lucky. The flames and the blast from the explosion spread too quickly, and he was engulfed in them before he could jump to safety.

"UZUMAKI-SAMA!"

Kirumi panicked right away when she noticed this. She didn't even care that she was in the air and could very well end up hurting herself when she fell back to the ground. No, her mind was fixated on Naruto alone.

That worry turned into relief, however, when Naruto emerged from the explosion, jumping up through the smoke to catch her and Kyoko before they could come falling to the ground. He wasn't unscathed, though. The whole right sleeve from his trench coat was gone, exposing the somewhat burned skin underneath. The right part of his mask had been shattered as well, with a trickle of blood dripping down from his forehead and right over his eye.

Despite this, Naruto still got them to the catwalk where it was more secure.

Once there, Kirumi was quick to kneel by his side to check him over. She couldn't keep her usual composure, and it honestly surprised Naruto a little if he was being honest. This was the first time he was seeing her _this_ worried. Not even when she had shown concern over Hayama had she panicked this much.

"Uzumaki-sama! You're-!"

"It's nothing I can't handle." Naruto cut her off to try and reassure her. It was probably because she could see one of his eyes now that she was able to calm down, if only just a little. She could tell there was still much spirit left in him.

But still.

"You're injured."

That was putting it mildly. The worst was his right arm. Naruto was sure that was going to take a bit longer to heal than the irritated skin from before.

Kyoko was more focused on another detail. His right blue eye. With part of the fox mask now gone, she could see it clearly. It was all too familiar for her.

"You're-"

Laughter prevented her from saying the rest.

Immediately, the three knew where it was coming from. They looked down to the first floor just as Petar emerged from behind one of the pillars, mask and everything. He did appear to have a new vest on now, as this one lacked the tear from Naruto's kunai.

"Ahahaha that was great! Not even I could have survived something like that. You have amazing reflexes." He then smirked. "But of course, if you hadn't bothered to save those two, you wouldn't have been injured at all."

Yeah, so what?

"I guess that's what makes us different," Naruto retorted as he glared down at the man.

Petar shrugged. "Maybe so." He then did something completely unexpected. He pointed to the office leading from the catwalk. "You there, miss detective. The information you want is in there. About who hired me. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Wait, what?

Kyoko frowned. "What did you say?"

She needed to make sure this wasn't a sick joke of some kind.

"That's why you came here, right? Well, there it is. Go and take it. I'm not going to stop you."

Kyoko didn't understand. "You're betraying your employer?"

Betraying? How funny was that!

"Betrayal implies loyalty, girl." Petar's smirk only widened. "I'm loyal to no one but myself."

Kyoko didn't buy this at all. There had to be more to it. There just had to.

…..right?

While she was confused, Naruto understood perfectly. In his mind, this explained every question and concern Kyoko had. Why the man came to this specific arms dealer. Why he left the gun behind.

That only left one thing to do.

"Kyoko. Kirumi. Go. Leave this guy to me."

Wait, what?

"I must object to this." Kirumi was quick to deny his request. "You've already been injured. Kirigiri-sama can look for the information on her own. I'm sure I can-"

"No." Naruto didn't turn to face her. He was looking straight at Petar who stared back at him. "This is my fight. Go and help Kyoko with her search. The faster you get it, the quicker you're out of here."

Was he saying to leave him behind? But that was just-!

"Let's go." Kyoko was already walking toward the office, not an ounce of hesitation in her step.

Kirumi couldn't believe it. "We can't just leave like this!"

She said that, but Kyoko didn't stop. She already knew how this made her look, but it couldn't be helped. Even if she didn't say it, she was hoping for the blond to come back safe from this. She just couldn't vocalize it.

She was far too awkward for something like that.

Kirumi was angry, and it showed. She had been taught to remain calm during any situation, but right now her emotions were spiraling out of control. Seeing Naruto get injured was probably the cause of it. It just showed her that he really wasn't infallible, and it worried her.

Greatly so.

But one look at him and Kirumi knew he wasn't going to change his mind.

'You really are stubborn.'

Once his mind was made up, there was little hope dissuading him from his decision.

She was not happy with this. Not at all. But she still followed after Kyoko. However, unlike Kyoko, Kirumi did look back and offered some words to the blond.

"Make sure to stay alive, Uzumaki-sama."

Of course he was. He wasn't going to die that easily.

"You have my word."

* * *

When Kyoko stepped into the office, or the remainder of one anyway, she was assaulted with an entirely different smell. But it was one she was all too familiar with.

Death.

Right there, slumped next to the wall by the door was the corpse of a man she recognized almost immediately.

'The arms dealer.'

So he was dead. This explained why the police hadn't been able to track his movements in the last couple of days. The one after her life had already taken his.

Well, that was one mystery solved.

She shifted her attention away from the body and onto the office itself. While the room was falling apart just like everything else around here, the desk inside was pretty brand new. There was a lamp as well, but she wasn't interested in that.

'This must be it.'

As Kyoko moved closer to the desk, Kirumi joined her inside. Kirumi's face was now cool and controlled, just like Kyoko's.

Her emotions were not, though. She was still very angry with Kyoko, but she made sure to mask it well. Her anger didn't stop her from noticing the rotting corpse, though. Still, she didn't question it. Not because she wasn't curious or appalled, but because she was too angry to care at this exact moment.

Kyoko could sense the anger from a mile away, and she didn't blame Kirumi for her reaction. Not one bit.

"You're free to think of me as a cold person," Kyoko said softly as she opened one of the drawers of the desk. "But believe me, I'm just as worried as you are."

It was a new feeling for her, but it was there. Was it because she saw Naruto get injured after saving her life for a _third_ time? Kyoko wasn't certain, but the concern was undeniable.

This admission stunned Kirumi, but she quickly pushed that aside. She moved to help Kyoko search the desk.

"We can discuss that later."

For now, they needed to find what they came here for.

Kyoko couldn't agree more.

* * *

The air was practically scorching out in the abandoned storage room, and it wasn't because of the flames of the earlier explosion.

No, it came from the intense aura that both Naruto and Petar were oozing out. Neither knew the other's name, but that didn't stop them from feeling like they knew the other well.

"You made a mistake just now." Unlike his emotions, Naruto's voice was calm. "I couldn't use lethal force before. But now that we have the information we're looking for, we don't really need you."

Some might think it was a bluff, that Petar was lying to stall for time. But Naruto was positive this wasn't the cace. Just looking at the man's eyes confirmed it for him.

"Don't say stupid things. You know what this is about." Petar took a step forward. "I don't really care about this whole situation. I only do as I'm paid to. But this makes it more interesting. If I fail here, the mission won't really matter for me anymore. But if I succeed, then it won't be hard to track those two down and kill them. You understand that, right?"

Naruto didn't answer.

"But if you want even more excitement, then here." Almost like he was dangling a toy in front of a baby, Petar pulled out a small device from one of the pockets in his vest. "I've rigged this whole warehouse to blow up with just a single push of this button. I'm sure that would be enough to kill that girl, right?"

This was all just a game to him, was it?

"Are you trying to provoke me?"

Because threatening Kyoko and Kirumi was a sure way of doing just that.

"Something like that, yeah." Quickly pocketing the detonator, Petar took another step forward. "This won't be like earlier. No one can interfere with us in here. I don't want you holding back on me. That's why you can rest assured. The information I have in there is the real deal. Insurance if you will."

Working in Fenrir had taught Petar to always have a backup plan, just in case the customer got any _funny_ ideas. That's why he had made sure to get in touch with the buffoon that passed for an arms dealer around here. It was a trail, which he could use for blackmail if the situation called for it. Only that he ended up using it as bait to lure out a certain someone.

That certain someone was now standing before him, so Petar was pretty pleased with the results.

There was nothing else that needed to be said between them. The time for words was over, and both were more than happy to get rid of the other.

There was no signal. No sound was made. But the two still knew exactly when it all began.

It was Naruto who moved first. He didn't charge at the former mercenary, though. Instead, he kicked off the ground with his feet and jumped into the air. As he did, multiple shuriken appeared in his hands.

Petar saw them and grinned. He was more than ready for this.

Naruto launched the shuriken right at the man, who in turn did a full 360 spin to evade them. The shrunken all buzzed past him, missing him entirely. Naruto didn't let this slow him down at all. He was already preparing his next move.

The blond made use of one of the pillars nearby, using it as a foothold from which to launch himself. It gave him a good enough boost as he practically shot off like a rocket, heading straight for Petar.

It looked as if Naruto was about to go in with a set of punches, but at the last moment he turned his body so that he could throw a couple of kicks instead. In response, Petar raised up his arms over his head to block the two kicks he knew were coming. He did, but a grunt of pain left his lips as Naruto's kicks came in contact with his forearms. It felt like Naruto's legs were made out of steel or something. Not just that, but the kicks were strong enough to push him back a few meters even though he had been more than prepared to stand his ground.

'That hurt.'

Petar realized at that moment that he hadn't actually seen the kind of raw strength that Naruto had in him. Not until now.

He quickly recovered, however. He shifted away from his thoughts as Naruto spun in midair to get at him from behind, literally using Petar's own forearms as a foothold this time.

Petar tried to intercept Naruto while he was still in the air, sending out a powerful spinning kick that would surely knock the fighting spirit out of anyone it touched. But he missed, and Naruto was able to land safely on the ground.

The blond's new position didn't do much, though, as Petar was already turning in his direction. He charged right at him. Naruto did the same, although he zig-zagged along the way. To Petar, it was almost as if Naruto was leaving behind after-images of himself. That's how fast the blond was.

Just before the two clashed again, Naruto jumped again, aiming to do the same as before. Even though Petar saw this, he was too slow to do anything else but react and raised his arms again. He grunted a second time as Naruto's kicks made contact with his forearms, but this time he was able to hold his ground and even managed to push Naruto back a little.

It didn't take Naruto long to land back on the ground before charging back in. This time the blond came in with a set of punches, which Petar was able to block at first. But Naruto was soon changing it up, using his feet to deliver some blows to the man's knees.

Petar wasn't able to block those and nearly collapsed right then and there. Somehow, he made sure not to buckle under the pain. But Naruto didn't let up and came back in with more punches. Petar tried to keep up his defense, but Naruto was able to get one good uppercut in that sent the man reeling back.

There was no time for rest, though, as Naruto was already pouncing on him again. No longer feeling like wanting to be on the defensive, Petar intercepted Naruto with a wheel kick before the Uzumaki could come any closer.

Naruto was able to step back in time to evade it, but Petar launched another kick at him. This time it was an axe kick, but Naruto ducked back again. Petar then threw several punches of his own. Naruto dodged the first couple of ones before catching the last one with the palm of his hand, which he used to push Petar back and knock him off his balance just a bit.

It was the window Naruto needed to counterattack with more punches of his own. With every one Naruto's speed continued to increase, and Petar was unable to respond to them appropriately. But it wasn't just the blond's speed that was increasing.

His punches kept getting stronger and stronger too.

After Naruto's fist made clean contact with Petar's face, the mercenary was sure his nose was close to broken. All the blood pointed to that fact. Naruto felt like he was close to knocking the man out, but then suddenly another explosion rang out. This time the explosion came from one of the pillars. It wasn't as powerful as the last one, but it was just enough to make the pillar come tumbling down between them.

The two jumped away from one another, landing on opposite sides of the falling pillar.

Naruto already knew Petar had done that to separate the two of them, probably to collect his thoughts.

'Those explosions….they're just like paper bombs.'

That was the one thing he had failed to study up on. Explosives. That's why he had been caught off guard earlier. But now, he was starting to learn for himself.

There was no better teacher than experience.

The sound of bullets broke Naruto from his thoughts. Soon after, he was running across the empty room as Petar emerged from the other side of the fallen pillar with a Beretta ARX160 assault rifle.

"What's wrong, kid!" Petar let out a laugh that made him sound like a deranged maniac, which really wasn't far from the truth. "You didn't think this was just going to be a simple hand-to-hand, did you!?"

Naruto didn't bother answering as the mercenary continued to fire at him. When the bullets stopped, Naruto was quick to throw a round of shuriken right at the man.

But having learned from their previous encounter, Petar had already been getting ready to reload, counting every bullet fired in his head. By the time the shuriken came close, he already had another magazine in. He sprayed the incoming shuriken with more bullets, shooting them down before they could reach him.

'Bastard's good.'

Naruto had to give him credit where credit was due. Not just anyone could hit shoot down shuriken like that.

Not too keen on continuing with their little game of cat and mouse, Petar moved on to his next move.

To bomb the hell out of the blond.

For you see, Naruto hadn't noticed yet, but the assault rifle Petar was using came with a grenade launcher attachment. It was a GLX160 grenade launcher to be exact. A rather popular attachment for this particular weapon.

Naruto only realized this when the first grenade was fired on his position behind one of the pillars.

The explosion was enough to bring the rusting pillar down, but did it hit the blond?

Petar didn't know, but just to be sure he quickly fired off a couple more. Just to be extra safe, ya know.

Quite a bit of dust built up from the explosions, but soon enough it started to clear. When it did, Petar saw Naruto's body collapsed next to the fallen pillar. The trench coat blocked most of the blond's body, but Petar could make out blood on the ground.

"Was that it?"

There was disappointment in his voice as he slowly made his way over to the fallen ninja. His weapon was all loaded and ready to be fired at a moment's notice, but as he got closer Naruto didn't move an inch. The blond wasn't even breathing.

"So you weren't better than her, after all." Mukuro never would have gone down this easily.

Petar stood over the fallen blond, his gun pointed at his head. "For your skill, I guess I won't unmasked you."

He would just blow the whole body up instead.

But before he could carry that out, he heard _something_ hit the ground just below his feet. It took a second for Petar to realize what it was.

'A smoke grenade!'

It was a second too late, though, as the grenade was already going off. It was instinctive, but the mercenary took a few steps back to get away from the now rising smoke. It was only then that it hit him.

'No, the brat is-!'

When he turned to where Naruto's body was supposed to be, Petar found that it was no longer there.

He had been tricked!

With the smoke impairing his vision, Petar knew he was exposed for an attack. And sure enough, less than a second later, he could hear the sound of more shuriken whisking toward him.

Only, the shuriken weren't coming _at_ him. They instead moved around him, almost like they were encircling him. Because of the smoke, it took Petar longer than normal to realize that the shuriken had something attached to them.

It was wire.

'Incredible.'

Petar was mesmerized as he saw the shrunken maneuvering through the pillars with the wire not far behind. It was almost like he was witnessing a grand performance.

He failed to realize what the purpose behind all the wire was until it was too late. By the time he caught on, he was pushed back with incredible force as the wire closed in on him. Due to the sudden force, he dropped his weapon and was pinned to one of the pillars by the wire. He noticed that the wire was reinforced by several kunai embedded to the ceiling.

'He did that in a matter of seconds...!'

Petar was in awe, but he couldn't act like a fanboy all day here.

For a moment, Petar struggled to break free, but without his combat knife he realized he wasn't going to. And with the way his arms were being pressed together, there was no way he was going to reach it.

"Don't even think about it." Petar found Naruto standing on the catwalk with part of the wire sticking out from the sleeve that wasn't burnt up. "I can easily cut you down from this position."

Petar didn't doubt that. With the blond's speed, something like that was feasible. It just made him laugh.

"Ahahahaha! Incredible! Absolutely incredible! None of my attacks fazed you, huh!"

Even with those injuries, the blond had completely outclassed him. Petar couldn't be more delighted.

"You're the second person to ever defeat me like this. This world can be rather exciting, don't you agree?"

And to think both came from Japan…..how funny was that?

Naruto didn't find the humor in the situation.

"You've caused nothing but destruction and trouble for others, and you're still laughing?"

"It's how we are, boy." Petar grinned. "For people like us, nothing brings us more joy than the chaos of the world. It's why we exist. Without it, we'd only be bored and rot away."

It was their purpose.

"I'm not like you."

"Ha, is that so? From where I'm standing, we're more alike than you realize. I can see it clearly. The way your eyes dance with excitement. You enjoyed this, didn't you? Got your blood pumping. That mask can't hide it all."

If Petar was expecting to get a rise from Naruto, he didn't get it.

"I don't crave conflict like you do. I wish for the opposite."

"What are you, a killer with a heart?" Petar started to chuckle some more. "Wait, don't tell me. You don't actually kill. Is that it? Is that why I'm still breathing right now? This was meant to be a fight to the death, you know."

Naruto's one visible eye softened for just a moment. Like he was trying to convey a whole message to the mercenary.

"Killing isn't the only way to resolve a situation."

"Even though I tried to kill you? And that little friend of yours?" Petar's voice was somewhat mocking. "I've killed thousands of people in my life. I've learned that it doesn't make a difference in the end. But what I can tell you is one thing. Words don't do anything. They can never resolve a conflict. Not really. It's only through action, through death, that people understand. That's how our world works."

Naruto had seen that through the countless books he'd read. Through everything Sonia had taught him.

But was that not any different from how things were back in his dimension? How villages, how ninja, had acted?

"It doesn't change anything for me." Naruto's voice didn't lack any conviction. "I have a dream to fulfill."

And a promise to keep.

Petar wasn't offended by Naruto's words. Even if they invalidated everything he'd done up to this point, he wasn't mad. He was just downright amused.

"I wonder how long you'll be able to keep that conviction true, boy."

He could tell. The blond was young. There was still plenty of time for the world to corrupt him. For him to abandon his ideals. Petar couldn't help but be a little bit curious as to what would become of the boy when that day came.

'The despair of realizing you were wrong…..'

Petar had faced that despair already. He knew Naruto would too.

"Uzumaki-sama."

Kirumi's voice cut through their conversation. The two turned to see Kyoko and Kirumi exiting the office. The two girls were now on the catwalk again.

For a moment, Naruto wondered if they had overheard his words to Petar, but that thought faded when Petar began to laugh again.

"Well, girl? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I'm afraid so." Kyoko's voice was as calm as usual, not betraying how she truly felt. "Although it wasn't the answer I was expecting to find."

Naruto almost frowned a little. Just what did that mean exactly?

Petar only laughed further. "Ahahaha! I'm glad for you. But unfortunately, I'm not too sure if you're going to be able to do anything with that information."

That put them all on edge. Naruto was sure the mercenary couldn't do anything in his current predicament, though.

Right?

But then, Naruto noticed the detonator in Petar's hand.

'When did he-!?'

"I'm a sore loser, you see." Petar smirked behind his mask. "Hope we meet again, boy."

The last thing Naruto saw was a blinding light as the whole warehouse erupted into a fiery hellhole of explosions.

* * *

 **In the game, we never found out what happened to Fenrir exactly. Or if it was covered somewhere else, then I missed it. So I used the possible reasons they gave us for their disappearance and combined them. I think it's plausible enough.**

 **Anyway, there were going to be more scenes for this chapter, but I decided to cut them out. They felt like filler. They didn't add anything new or interesting. I thought it was better to get to the fight and go from there.**

 **This concludes the actiony part of this little arc. Not that there weren't be more action-like scenes, but things take a more investigative turn. That's the best I can describe it.**

 **I had a bit of a hard time coming up with Petar's skills, not gonna lie. He's not as good as Naruto or Mukuro, but he had enough skill to pose a good enough challenge. I wanted to showcase Naruto's new skill set without bringing in someone like Mukuro or Sakura. And for that, I needed someone who could make him sweat, even if just a little. So hopefully you enjoyed that.**

 **Another shorter-ish chapter, but it came out pretty fast so I think that's a good trade off.**

 **Till next time.**


	28. Uzumaki Naruto, the fool?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27:  
** **Uzumaki Naruto, the fool?**

He'd been here before.

Right?

No, Naruto was certain he had. He had lied in this exact position once before, face up and staring at nothing. The water below him was even the same.

'I'm back here again.'

It was his mindscape, wasn't it? Naruto was sure of it. Except…..there was something missing this time.

Naruto turned his head, and sure enough there was nothing waiting for him there. No cage, no Kurama. Nothing.

'He really is gone.'

Naruto had already been aware of this. Since he first came to this new world. But to see it with his own eyes…..well, it still stung him deeply. Far more than it perhaps should have.

'Kurama. I miss you.'

That was the simple truth of the matter. How funny that was. Naruto had never really hated the tailed beast, but for most of his life he hadn't exactly been friendly toward him either. He had only seen the beast, not the individual. But in the end, Kurama had turned out to be the best partner he could ask for.

He only realized that too late. If only there had been more time….

'No, I can't think like that.'

As always, Naruto pushed the depressing thought away. Just as he did with everything else regarding his old home. He couldn't keep dwelling on that. It would only pain him further, and there was no sense in worrying about it.

"Human emotions are quite complicated, aren't they?"

The voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. He recognized it. How couldn't he?

He quickly sat up and found a very familiar face waiting for him on his other side. How had Naruto not sensed him earlier? Or was he really that out of it?

"It's you…."

Naruto's voice was barely a whisper, but in this quiet land it boomed just as loud as a scream. Plain and simple, he honestly felt confused. He did not know how to react here.

After all, the person hovering before him was none other than the legendary Sage of Sixth Paths himself. He was surrounded by his Truth Seeking Orbs just like last time, with the staff at his side.

The man smiled warmly at the blond. "It's been sometime since our last meeting, hasn't it? New clothes I see. That fox mask is very fitting."

Naruto realized he was still wearing his trench coat and the broken mask. But that's how it always was. What he wore out there came with him in here.

He ignored it in favor of addressing the man before him.

"Super gramps, it's really you!" The excitement was clear in his voice. Standing up, Naruto just barely contained his laughter. "I can't believe it's you! I thought I would never see you again!"

"You assumed too quickly then. The connection between us is quite powerful, after all."

Naruto really didn't understand, but he didn't care. He was just happy to see the old man again. He was also glad the sage wasn't speaking so weirdly like before. No need to go through that whole routine again.

"I don't get it. How are you here? How am _I_ here? I thought I would never come here again!"

"Hmm, yes. You've certainly been busy," the sage hummed. "I must say, the situation you're in is quite astonishing. Never did I imagine something like this….."

Hagoromo was definitely surprised. Hagoromo was _rarely_ surprised these days.

"I don't understand it myself," Naruto admitted. "Everything's been so crazy! I thought for sure I was dreaming at first."

But nope. It was reality. All of it. Hope's Peak Academy. **Ultimates**. A new dimension. All of it.

"Indeed." Hagoromo stared to smile again. "However, I am pleased to see that you're still yourself, even under these circumstances."

Blushing somewhat, Naruto scratched his head. "W-Well, I haven't been able to do it alone…."

He was sure that if he hadn't forged those new bonds with the others he would have spiraled into darkness after realizing that he couldn't return to his original dimension. But thankfully that didn't come to pass. He had new friends who could help him move forward, which is exactly what he was doing.

"Yes. I'm glad to see you've kept your answer."

Bonds. Love. Hagoromo had seen it all through Naruto this past month. Just how much the boy could influence people for the better. It was remarkable.

"But I'm still confused." Naruto crossed his arms. He was aware that the sage hadn't answered his earlier questions. "How can we be talking again, super gramps?"

Wasn't that connected to chakra? Naruto didn't have that anymore. So how could this be happening right now?

"Well, the circumstances are rather similar to our previous meeting." Hagoromo had to fight back a sigh. "Even in this new world, you've managed to find trouble for yourself."

Like their previous meeting? Wait, did that mean-!?

"What!? I'm dying!?" Naruto cried out, waving his arms in panic. "How can that be!? What happened!?"

He couldn't remember a thing after that assassin decided to blow everything up. Had the explosion managed to end him?

More importantly, what about Kirumi and Kyoko!? Were they alright!?

Hagoromo was certainly more than just a little amused by Naruto's outburst. Did they boy really not realize what he had done in those last moments after the building started to collapse? Hagoromo had seen it, of course. Through the boy, he had managed to see Naruto's final actions before he passed out. That's why he was so amused.

"You are definitely a strange one, Uzumaki Naruto."

His words made Naruto's panic die down just a little.

"What are you talking about, super gramps? Wait, no! We can worry about that later! I can't die right now! I made a promise to Hiyoko to go see her perform! And all the others! And Kyoko and Kirumi-!"

This time, Hagoromo couldn't help but laugh.

"You're more worried about others than yourself, even now?"

Well. He shouldn't have expected anything different. But it was still funny to the man.

And incredible.

"W-Well, I can't just let them down like that." Naruto tried to defend himself, since to him it felt like Hagoromo was trying to tell him he was wrong. "They've just started to open up, ya know? I gotta make sure they can be more happy!"

"Do not fear, my boy. I do not condemn you for your worry. In fact, I believe it's quite admirable. Most people can't put others before themselves like you."

It had always been one of Naruto's defining traits, right? Always putting his friends before himself. It was especially true in Sasuke's case, Hagoromo thought to himself.

But now wasn't the time for that.

"It's like I said before. I can't control what happens out there. Not even I know what's happening anymore."

Now that Naruto was unconscious, Hagoromo didn't have a way to see the outside world. So he was as much in the dark about what was happening out there as the blond was.

Naruto sulked at this. "Man, I guess I can't find out if Kyoko and Kirumi are okay then."

Now until he woke up that is.

Hagoromo smiled. "Do not fear. I believe they are going to be just fine."

Naruto tilted his head. Oh yeah? How did he know that?

"I guess I should be more clear in saying that your current state is not as dire as before," Hagoromo carried on. "If nothing else, this has allowed us to finally communicate with one another. I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Okay?

"I'm still confused about a lot of things," Naruto said as he removed his mask. "Maybe you have some of the answers I'm looking for."

With a bit of luck, maybe some stuff would finally get cleared up for the blond.

"I believe I do have some answers for you," Hagoromo replied. "I also have a message to pass on, but that can wait."

Wait, what message?

"I think what you want to know most right now is the current state of your body." Naruto looked up when he heard this. "To be precise, you want to know what happened to your chakra."

Yes!

"I mean, yeah that's a good start." Naruto tried to stop himself from sounding too excited. But hey, it was completely justified here. So many people were keeping secrets, so to learn that yourown body was also keeping something from you was pretty frustrating.

"The headmaster said something about that before I left." Cupping his chin, Naruto tried to recall his conversation with the man. "For some reason, my body is super healthy. Does that have anything to do with my chakra?"

"In a matter of speaking." Hagoromo tried to choose his word carefully here. He knew how hard it was for the boy to pick up on subjects like this. "I believe you spoke to your mother about it. About your heritage."

Naruto knew that much. Their chakra was quite unique. Naruto wasn't sure if his was as potent as Kushina's, but it was definitely more resilient than the average person's. It's where his stamina came from, and why he had been a perfect pick for Kurama's jinchuriki.

"This world operates under different natural laws." And so, Hagoromo began his explanation. He tapped on the water below them with his staff. There, Naruto began to see images of everyone at Hope's Peak Academy. Everything he had encountered over the past month. It was all there.

"I can't be one hundred percent sure of this, but I believe your body was changed as you jumped through dimensions. This was done in order to keep the balance of this world."

The balance?

"You're not making any sense, super gramps. Why would something like that happen to me? What balance are you talking about?"

"I'm sure you've seen it by now. No one in this world possesses chakra. As a result, their bodies are much weaker than the norm you're used to."

Well. For the most part. There were exceptions to that of course. Which brought Hagoromo to his next point.

"These **Ultimates** you've met. They're quite special, right?"

Yeah. Naruto's friends had some great abilities. They were diverse, and together Naruto was confident that nothing could defeat them.

"From what I can gather, your body was modified to more closely resemble one of these **Ultimates**. That explains why you've kept your natural physical abilities."

His speed. His raw power. His natural senses. They were all there. Everything Naruto had developed over the course of his ninja career. The only thing missing was his chakra.

It took Naruto a few minutes, but he was finally able to grasp what Hagoromo was trying to tell him.

"So my chakra was the only unnatural thing about me, according to this new world. So in order to make me fit in, it took that away?"

Was that the gist of it?

"That's what I think," Hagoromo said with a nod. "New laws guide this world. In order to make sure the natural balance wasn't broken, it took measures to ensure that didn't happen."

Of course, Hagoromo couldn't be totally sure of this. This was all brand new stuff for him too. Maybe there was another reason, something he couldn't think of. This was a new form of dimensional travel that not even Hagoromo had done before. All other worlds he had visited were still connected to the dimension he and Naruto were born in. The same laws applied there. However, this was a separate dimension altogether, and while some things were similar there were many distinct differences.

But at the end of the day it didn't seem to matter all that much. Naruto was here safe and sound, and the world wasn't collapsing.

Win for everyone!

Humming, Naruto nodded a couple of times. "Okay! I think I'm starting to get it."

But wait a second.

"If that's true, then why are you here, super gramps?"

Hagoromo chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you never thought about it, but humans and chakra share a very personal connection. You do remember what I told you before, right? About chakra's original purpose?"

Had he said something like that? Naruto was struggling to remember it.

Hagoromo didn't mind. He was more than happy to explain it again. "Chakra was meant to unite people. To better understand one another. To see inside each other's hearts and minds. To build trust. Those were the principles of my Ninshū."

Of course, of course. But still, what did have to do with Naruto's current predicament?

"Going to what I said before, this world tried to mold you under its own laws," Hagoromo continued to explain. "It did its best. The fact that you can't use chakra proves it. However, as I'm sure you know, chakra is powerful. Very much so. So while this world took away your ability to use it, it didn't remove it entirely."

Come again?

Naruto scratched his cheek. "You're losing me, super gramps."

Hagoromo had been afraid of that.

"Think back to what I said. Ninshū is the key to what I'm talking about."

Naruto tried to, but he was having a hard time coming up with the answer on his own.

'I still have chakra, but I can't use it like I used to? What does that….'

He trailed off, but then he started to understand. The connection Hagoromo was talking about.

"You can't mean that-"

"Indeed. Your chakra has been reverted to its original state. To when I first shared it with others."

In other words, Naruto's physical and spiritual energies were no longer connected. This meant that his chakra wasn't able to produce ninjutsu anymore. That's why his techniques were gone, and why his body could no longer be amplified like before.

Chakra still held a very powerful connection to the individual, however. In Naruto's case, more so since he not only had his own chakra, but Asura's as well. Hagoromo could still Asura's chakra emanating from the boy. Like every other reincarnate, the chakra from Asura clung deeply to Naruto, even going as deep as his soul. That connection still hadn't been severed.

As for Naruto, he was left looking down at his hands in slight wonder.

"So my chakra is still with me."

Only modified. Or if he wanted to be more specific, his chakra was now as how it had been in Hagoromo's time.

"If someone else in this world possessed chakra, I'm sure you would have realized it sooner," Hagoromo said. "You would have an instant connection with them."

Although something similar had already happened. Hagoromo had already witnessed it. Even if they didn't realize it, those **Ultimates** had felt the effect of Naruto's chakra as it spread out around him. That warm feeling of being close to the blond. It was not surprising, as Hagoromo could sense that Naruto's chakra was bright and welcoming. It was a byproduct of the situation, but Hagoromo knew it played a role in Naruto's connection to the others.

It was just another thing for Hagoromo to admire. It wasn't what Hagoromo had envisioned per se, but Naruto was carrying out the ways of Ninshū in his own way. No, perhaps even better? He wasn't relying on a mystical power to connect to people, after all.

Once more, Hagoromo had to be impressed with the boy. But he kept these thoughts to himself. He knew Naruto didn't need to hear them.

"I get it now." Naruto understood why his body was still the same as before then. The Uzumaki vitality or whatever it was called. Since his chakra was still technically with him, that allowed his body to function at a different rate from the norm.

But the chakra within him couldn't do more than that. It was a far cry from what Naruto's chakra was originally capable of back in his original home. Now, it was the same as if he didn't have it.

'I guess not getting sick is a plus.'

No stupid colds for him. So no shots from Mikan either. He was safe! Hehehehe.

Then something else came to mind, causing Naruto to look at the sage.

"But wait, super gramps. Does this mean I can get my chakra to how it was back before I came here?"

Would that even be allowed?

To this, Hagoromo took a moment to consider. "It is a possibility I suppose. To revert the process. To channel your chakra inward instead of outward so that you can connect your spiritual and physical energies together…..how this world would react to that, however, I do not know."

The Sage of Six Paths had no problems divulging this information to Naruto. Why? Because he knew that, whatever decision the boy came to, he would never misuse that power. That's one of the main reasons why Hagoromo had shared his power with the boy in the first place.

This did leave Naruto with a bit of a quandary, though. He was now standing at a crossroad. He could have his chakra again. He could get his abilities back!

'No one would stop me then.'

This recent mission showed him something. This world was full of dangers. He was sure that assassin wasn't the worst thing out there. What others dangers were out there, waiting to reveal themselves? If he had his abilities back, he was sure he would be able to protect everyone from anything, no matter what.

'That would be for the best, right?'

It certainly would…..but Naruto found himself not wanting to do that.

It was something Hagoromo picked up on. "Is something wrong?"

Was there?

"I can't really explain it," Naruto began, looking down. "But…..I don't think I can do something like that. It would be amazing, to have my chakra back like how it was before. I'm sure I could do a lot of great stuff with it."

Hagoromo said nothing, merely allowing Naruto time to collect his thoughts.

"I'm sure you've noticed it too, super gramps. This world. There are enough weapons of destruction to last a lifetime. Bringing chakra into it….I could just be causing a repeat of what happened in the ninja world."

Was he overthinking this? Naruto didn't know. After all, it wasn't like other people here had chakra. It would only be him. But then again, that had been the case for Hagoromo too. And eventually, things just spiraled out of control. Naruto wasn't sure, but could something similar happen if he brought chakra back on the table?

"Hmm, I see." Hagoromo's voice didn't sound angry or disappointed. He simply smiled. "You've been thinking hard about the future I see. I already made my mistake. If you could avoid a repeat of that, then I'd welcome it with open arms."

Naruto shook his head. "I already said it before. I don't think you were wrong in your decision. Chakra can really help people out. But it's different here. There is no Ten Tails. No Rinnegan. I don't think I could make a selfish decision like that just to have my chakra back."

And to whatever problem that arose in the future….well, Naruto was confident he could handle it without chakra. Why? Because he wasn't alone. Everyone back in Hope's Peak, even Kirumi and Kyoko now….Naruto was confident they could handle it together.

Naruto's face showed Hagoromo everything the boy was thinking, and he was more than pleased.

"Even my son would have been proud of you, Uzumaki Naruto."

Really now?

Naruto grinned a bit. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

Not that it made much of a difference to him. He and Asura weren't the same person. The decisions he made were simply what he thought was best. Nothing more, nothing else.

But even with that out of the way, Naruto still had many things he needed to ask the sage.

"Super gramps, listen…..you can talk to Sasuke too, right?"

Naruto's question caused Hagoromo to raise his hand. "I know what you want to ask, child. As many of the answers you've gotten, you probably don't want to hear it, but…..to be blunt, I can no longer sense Indra's chakra anywhere. Not in this world, or the one before."

It was sort of a roundabout way of saying it, but Naruto already knew what that meant.

Sasuke was dead.

"Then everyone else is-"

"I do not know what state the world was left in after the explosion," Hagoromo confessed. "Your friends who were near you, however…..the ones who were caught in the blast…..they most certainly are gone."

It's what Naruto had been expecting to hear really. That didn't stop it from being painful.

It took all of Naruto's willpower not to collapse right then there.

'Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan…..'

They were gone now too.

The tears were already building around his eyes, but Naruto fought to keep them from shedding.

"There's no need to put on such a mask here," Hagoromo said softly. "You've been carrying much pain this whole time. But for those new bonds, you've been trying to be strong, haven't you?"

Yes.

It was Chiaki who had first helped him overcome the pain. He still remembered their conversation during their camping trip. He made sure to keep it close to his heart at all times.

"Bottling your emotions won't do anyone any good," Hagoromo advised him. "You're planning on speaking to them, aren't you? Just as you've helped them, they in turn can help you. Isn't that the power behind your bonds?"

It was. That's why Naruto was no longer planning on holding anything back from them.

But….he wasn't going to forget either.

"I'm going to carry them with me." Placing a hand over his heart, Naruto smiled even though he was still hurting. "Just like with Neji. I won't forget about any of them."

It was a painful road, but Naruto had no choice but to take it. He wasn't going to discard his previous bonds, no matter how painful it may be. He couldn't make the same mistake as Obito.

Hagoromo did not say anything to this. Naruto's mind was already made up, and he didn't necessarily disagree with the boy's decision either.

Chuckling, he closed his eyes. "Well then. I suppose it's almost time for me to go."

There was a somewhat somber look in Naruto's eyes when he heard this.

"I'll probably never see you again, right?"

"Hmm, who's to say." Reopening his eyes, Hagoromo locked gazes with Naruto. "I'll always be watching. And know that your friends will do the same. No matter where you are. They're always with you."

Naruto accepted the kind words.

"Oh, and about that message I had for you…."

Ah! There was that, wasn't there?

"I would be a terrible father if I didn't relay this to you." Hagoromo's face softened as he said this. "I'm sure it carries the same sentiment for all the others."

What was he talking about?

"Before giving all his chakra to you to make sure you would survive as you crossed over to this new plane, Kurama had but one thing to say before he disappeared."

Naruto's eyes started to widen, and Hagoromo had to smile again.

"He wanted me to tell you this. To never have any regrets. And to survive, no matter what."

It might have been the other Kurama who said that, but to Naruto it didn't change a thing. It was the same as if the original furball was leaving that message for him.

'I'll make sure to honor that request, Kurama.'

It was the least he could do, for his partner.

Right?

* * *

The bright light that greeted Naruto as he opened his eyes again was kind of blinding. Only it wasn't a light. Just the mere act of opening his eyes was enough to give him a light migraine.

Annoying.

"Ah, he's awake!"

There was a female voice to his right. It sounded familiar, but before he could try to remember where he heard it he grunted in pain when _something_ landed almost right on top of him.

That something was a body. A pair of slender arms were suddenly around his neck. It was then that Naruto realized that he was being engulfed into a hug.

It took a few more moments for Naruto's senses to fully return. Once they did, the blond realized that it was Kirumi who was currently hugging him.

And w-wait, was she crying too!?

"Kirumi-"

Naruto wasn't able to say anything more as the young girl continued to cry. His eyes softened as he let her do what she wanted.

"So you finally wake up. It's about time."

There was another voice. Looking away from the young maid, Naruto saw Kyoko standing by the side of the bed, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Kyoko."

So the two were alive. That was a relief. And they didn't seem injured either. Their clothes had definitely seen better days, but that was a minor detail given recent events.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow at him. "Calling me by my first name? You're definitely a strange one."

It was just a name. No need to act so formal about it.

As Kirumi continued to hug him, Naruto found himself observing his surroundings. He didn't recognize the room they were in. They were not in the mansion, though. If anything, he would say they were still in the warehouse were it not for the fact that he was sure that whole place had collapsed.

The room did look abandoned, though. Even the bed he was on was dirty, the mattress having many holes and stains. No covers either.

"What happened?"

The question left him before he realized it.

"We thought you died." It was Kirumi who answered him. Finally getting herself under control, she stepped back and smiled. Her hair was sort of a mess, and her uniform was very much torn in many places.

"What do you mean?" It was then that Naruto spotted his trench coat and mask by the foot of the bed.

It took all of Naruto's willpower to not curse.

Noticing this, Kyoko stopped herself from smiling. "I believe this is the first time we're speaking face-to-face, correct?"

She meant that quite literally.

Naruto's shoulders sagged a little, but he winced at the motion. Looking down, he saw his chest all up. He even had bandages around his head. From the looks of things, he had been bleeding a lot.

"My apologies." Kirumi was already bowing. "I did not mean for this to happen, but…..if we wanted to save your life, removing your gear was the best way to do it."

He wasn't blaming Kirumi for this. More so himself. How could he have been knocked out like this?

At least he still had his pants.

"You are a fool." Kyoko's icy words cut right to the blond. The look she was giving him was in the same light. "You moved to protect us from the debris without even worrying about your safety. You nearly got crushed because of it."

He did? Was that why they looked fine apart from the all dust and tears on their clothing?

"I don't really remember much of what happened after the explosion," Naruto said slowly. "But if I did do that, then I'm not complaining. I'm glad you're both safe."

Kyoko didn't seem to agree. "This is the fourth time you've done something like this. Only now it was more reckless than before. Do you have a death wish?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I just have a promise to keep here."

Wait, was that saying too much? Naruto didn't know.

"A promise?" Kyoko looked at him with interest. "What are you referring to?"

"Ya know….solving this case and whatever. We can't do that without you."

Kyoko's eyes shifted away. "You're not a very good liar."

Now that the mask wasn't in the way, Kyoko could see his eyes just fine. It was easy for her to tell that he was definitely lying right now because of it.

Naruto almost pouted. "Why does everyone say that?"

"Mhmm, I believe because it's true," Kirumi said with a smile of her own as she checked his bandages to make sure everything was okay.

Noticing this, Naruto asked, "Wait, did you patch me up, Kirumi?"

"Yes. All that first aid training I did paid off."

Wow. Amazing. She definitely was an awesome maid, wasn't she?

It wasn't just the bandages, though. Naruto saw other supplies in the room. He saw water bottles, all types of cloths, creams, and other things he couldn't name.

"Where did you get all this stuff? I'm pretty sure you weren't carrying them on our way here."

"I made sure to buy some after what happened." Kirumi's face turned grim. "It was a scary situation. You were bleeding out really badly. We managed to carry you into one of the houses nearby. Kirigiri-sama made sure to stay behind and keep your wounds from getting any worse. She was incredible."

Naruto was sure the shock he felt was clear on his face, as Kyoko quickly coughed into her gloved hand.

"It was no big deal. I just made sure to apply pressure to your wounds before Tojo got back. It's nothing special."

"So you say, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it back in time without your assistance," Kirumi fired back.

Naruto just looked on between the two girls, not sure what to say.

Kyoko then sighed. "There's no reason to argue over this. It's already in the past." She did glance his way once more. "But I must say, you made a speedy recovery. It's only been a few hours. With injuries like that, I was sure you were going to be out for the rest of the night."

Wait, night!?

Sure enough, looking out one of the windows Naruto saw that the sun wasn't out anymore.

Such a hectic day this turned out to be.

"The police arrived a couple of hours ago, to put out the fire," Kirumi said. She was changing one of his bandages for a new one. "Thankfully Kirigiri-sama was able to stop them from looking in here. Explaining this would have been quite problematic."

Using her personal authority like that….Naruto was grateful for that. Going to a hospital would have only made things more complicated, and they didn't need the extra hassle.

But man, from the sounds of things, he had missed out on a lot of stuff.

"We still need to talk." Kyoko stepped closer to the bed, her face as composed as ever. "We need to be on the same page moving forward."

Naruto didn't know what she wanted him to say. "You're the one who got the information about who hired that guy. Shouldn't you be the one filling me in?"

Kirumi spoke up, "It's not that simple, Uzumaki-sama."

It wasn't?

"There will be time for that," Kyoko quickly cut in. "What I'm referring to is who you really are and what you're doing here. I know for a fact that you're not just a mere butler."

She wasn't going to let that go, was she?

"Hey, I was doing just fine with that until this happened." Naruto was confident he could have kept his cover until the end if he hadn't gotten injured like this and blacked out.

"My, quite confident." Naruto wasn't sure, but he swore Kyoko was looking down on him right now. Not in a condescending way, but in a more playful one. "For your information, I suspected you from the first time I saw you."

Naruto froze for a moment. First time, she says? Nah, couldn't be.

"I had already looked over the employee list before I arrived last night. But when I stepped inside the mansion, I caught a glimpse of a face that wasn't on there. Said face happened to be working as a butler there. I'm sure you can guess who I'm talking about."

…..say what now?

But Kyoko wasn't finished. "When you showed yourself to me in your getup, you never bothered to change your voice. Your hair is also unique enough to where I knew it was you."

His voice wasn't muffled by the mask!? And his hair was….uh, crap. Naruto had no defense there.

The list didn't stop there, though. Kyoko pointed out other mistakes, like his built. Also the fact that Kirumi had even said his name in front of her, which showed that the two were acquainted with one another. It was enough of a profile in Kyoko's mind to make him the number one suspect.

All of this had Kirumi humming to herself, her face thoughtful.

"It appears as though I wouldn't make for a good spy."

Of course not. She was a maid!

Wait, no. Not the thing to focus on right now.

Naruto bowed his head, feeling defeated. "Fine. You got me. I screwed up." A lot. "I still think I did decent enough for my first time."

It was a passing grade, right!?

Kyoko wasn't going to argue that point. No, she was more interested in the things she didn't know yet.

"Back to my original question. Just who are you? Really? What is your purpose here? It's not just about solving this case, is it?"

Oh yeah, she was dead set on that. No question about it.

But fine. Naruto was getting tired of all the pointless lying anyway. It just made things tedious. And he hated that.

"You're right. I didn't come here to solve this case. Not originally. I only decided to do that after gramps asked me to."

Gramps? Oh, right. Hayama.

"Then why?" Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "And why have you been protecting me this whole time?"

The headmaster was definitely going to be mad, wasn't he? Well, at this point, there was no getting around it.

Naruto simply came out with it.

"Because. Your dad asked me to."

* * *

"I can't believe this. That no good bitch! She's supposed to be here right now! Does father even know where she went?"

"You should calm down, sister. Father probably sent her away somewhere. You know how he is with her."

"Oh yeah? Then what about that new butler? He's not here either!"

"I think that's for the better. He has quite the problematic look if you ask me. I have no idea why father always has to bring in people like that."

"Oooooohhhh, someone sounds bitter. Are you angry about him getting close to Kirumi-chan?"

"Shut up, Yozuru."

"Eh, you're no fun, brother~"

Hasashi had stop himself from cursing his sister out, but it was hard to keep himself in check. This was a sensitive topic for him, after all.

"They should be fired is what it is." Uzumi was fuming as she stomped around the dining hall on the second floor. "The guests will be coming back soon. Proper decorum dictates that they should be here where they're needed. Heck, they weren't even on the yacht!"

"There are enough waiters if you ask me." Yozuru toyed with her long hair. "But I suppose I wouldn't mind having the butler next to me. He's got those wild looks I like."

Hasashi snorted in disgust. "Keep that stuff to yourself. We don't want to hear it."

Yozuru was more than a little amused by his reaction, but she decided to follow her brother's advice. Instead, she pointed something else out.

"I haven't seen the detective girl anywhere today. Did she run out of good luck and get bombed or something?"

"If you ask me-"

There was a knock on the door, which was followed by Sae stepping inside.

"Pardon my intrusion. But it does appear that Akira-sama is returning."

They were going from partying on the yacht to partying on the mansion.

How lovely.

"Can't be helped then." Uzumi almost scowled as she smoothed her dress over. The only reason they had left the yacht early was so that they could change their clothes for the night. They had an image to uphold, after all.

Not that their father really seemed to care about that.

"Time for the party to start again!" Yozuru practically bounced out of her seat as she ran to the door. "I don't think I'll be able to stay standing tonight!"

"If you throw up, I'm not your sister anymore," Uzumi said as she followed after her.

Only Hasashi and Sae were left in the room, with the former looking very much annoyed.

"You don't know where Kirumi is, do you?"

Even though Hasashi knew his father was the one who hired her, he was never all that happy when he ordered her to do something without Hasashi knowing about it.

"My apologies, Hasashi-sama. But I have no idea where she might have gone."

This was not the answer he was looking for. It didn't help that apparently Kirumi and that new butler were seen eating breakfast this morning. A minor detail, except that he knew Kirumi never ate with anyone. Not even with her fellow maid.

"I'm going to have a talk with her when she comes back…."

Sae said nothing as Hasashi muttered to himself. She simply bowed when he walked past her. She had but one simple thought to all of this.

'How ridiculous.'

* * *

To say Naruto was surprised would be an understatement. He was honestly pretty taken back by what he was seeing. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Kirumi was thinking the same thing.

'So she _can_ make a face like that.'

Over the past day, Naruto had come to understand the type of person Kyoko was. To be blunt, she'd probably make a better ninja than him. Or what the "expected" version of a ninja was like. She was always distant, rarely showed any emotion, and was always on guard.

But now all of that was gone. Her mask was broken, and Naruto saw firsthand the girl underneath. A girl who was definitely in a lot of emotional pain.

"You." Kyoko finally found her voice, only to lose it again. The pained look on her face hadn't faded yet. Normally, any emotion she'd show would disappear in an instant. Not now. She was struggling, her mind a mess. This time, she was the one who didn't know what to say.

It's what she wanted to know, though. Nothing but the truth.

"No." Somehow, Kyoko managed to get her emotions under control. It wasn't perfect, though, as her eyes still conveyed all the hurt and anger she was feeling at the moment. "That can't be true. You're lying to me."

Another surprise. Naruto never expected her to turn to such a childish defense. Her relationship with her father was definitely screwed up.

"I'm not lying to you. He's the one who sent me here. Kirumi can vouch for me."

The maid merely nodded to this, not wanting to get involved in whatever this was.

"Why?" Kyoko nearly spat the word out. "Why would he do something like that? What's in it for him?"

What kind of question was that?

Confused, Naruto replied with the obvious answer.

"Because he was worried about you."

What kind of father wouldn't worry about his daughter?

Kyoko backed away, feeling like she was being trapped. "Don't say that. Don't lie to me. That man would doesn't care about me. He abandoned me. He…..!"

She wanted to say more, but she stopped herself. She tried to regain her composure.

"Your first lie had more merit. But this one is just ridiculous."

This was a fine mess he was in, wasn't it?

Sighing, Naruto said, "I'm not lying to you. What would I have to gain from all that?"

"Then what do you gain from helping him?"

The pay was certainly good, but that wasn't all.

"Your dad bailed me out of jail a while back. Probably not because he wanted to, but I still owe him for it."

Kyoko ignored that for the most part. "So you're saying you're from Hope's Peak Academy?"

"Basically."

"I'd expect nothing else from him. Helping others but not his own daughter." Kyoko's face turned colder than ever before. "What is he trying to accomplish now?"

It was a stupid thing to do in his current condition, and Kirumi nearly felt her heart pop out of her chest. But despite that, Naruto still forced himself to get out of the bed. His body didn't appreciate such movements at the moment, but Naruto ignored it in favor of walking up to Kyoko, who looked ready to run away at a moment's notice. That's how disoriented she was right now.

"Alright, I can't watch this anymore. It's gonna make me want to hit you."

Yep, that's how he was going to start this.

Unsurprisingly, Kyoko didn't understand. "What are you-"

"I have no idea what happened between you and your dad in the past," Naruto cut her off. He had a lot to say here, and she needed to listen. "He might have done something really unforgivable to you. I don't know. Maybe he does deserve the hate you have for him. But I can't let you stand here and say he doesn't care. The fact that I'm here proves otherwise. Everything I've done should show you how much he cares."

Kyoko could do nothing but stare back at him. For a moment, it almost felt like she was lost inside Naruto's eyes, like being submerged in the middle of a never-ending sea.

"He was desperate," Naruto told her. "He even got in touch with your grandfather, someone he apparently doesn't like. He was more than willing to pay any amount if it meant I'd accept his request. So yes, you can hate him. Loathe him. Curse him out. I'm not going to disregard your feelings here. Especially since I don't know about your past. But you can't say he doesn't care about you."

It was a strange feeling for Kyoko, not knowing what to say. She never expected an outcome like this, and her mind was drawing a blank on what to say.

She just couldn't believe it. Her own father did something like this? Despite everything her grandfather told her, he sent someone to look after her?

"I kinda made a mess of things." Naruto's firm look softened a little. "He didn't want you to know about my true purpose, knowing you were gonna react like this. But you can take my word. He does care. He loves you, Kyoko."

As a detective, Kyoko's natural instincts were to never take anything at face value. Just taking Naruto's words as they were was something she knew she wasn't supposed to do. But facing him directly, with the warmth in his eyes as he told her this, Kyoko just couldn't doubt him.

This boy…..just who was he?

"You're meddling again."

Naruto blinked. What now?

"You're right. You definitely made a mess of things." Kyoko took a few steps back and turned her head away. Naruto still didn't miss the rosy tint in her cheeks. Or was he imagining that? "If my father wanted to keep everything under wraps, he definitely should have hired someone better."

Naruto winched before he started to grumble. "Cruel, Kyoko. Cruel."

The girl didn't hold back, did she?

But in his pouting, he missed the smile that befell Kyoko's face. The girl herself didn't know why she was smiling. But she felt…..relief? Maybe. It was unclear to her at this moment. She still held to the resentment she had for her father, but it wasn't as strong as before. There was no denying the positive emotions that were flooding through her right now.

Kirumi didn't miss any of this, though. For some reason, she didn't like it. And so, with the most serious look she could muster she stepped behind the still grumbling Naruto.

"Uzumaki-sama, you're still too injured to be moving around. Back in bed."

"Wait-OUCH! Kirumi, be gentle! Gentle!"

But Kirumi was not gentle, and Naruto had to wonder what he had done to deserve such harsh treatment as she practically tossed him back on the bed.

Kyoko had to suppress her smile as Naruto continued to whine about Kirumi's undeserving roughness.

'Yes, a most strange one indeed.'

* * *

"So what's the plan here?"

Now that Kyoko's questions had been answered, Naruto had but one for the girl.

"Now that you know who the culprit is, we can get them, right?"

With her mind a bit more settled, Kyoko was able to answer.

"Not exactly. There are some things I must look into beforehand."

Say what now?

"I don't get it." Naruto, now back on the bed, frowned. "You know who hired that guy, right? In that case-"

"Yes, but this case won't be settled that easily," Kyoko intervened with a shake of her head. "It's just as with the first assassin we faced. There is but another ploy we have to take into account."

Hmm. Was she being vague on purpose? Naruto didn't like that.

"You could just tell me, ya know."

"I plan to. But first." Kyoko gave Naruto a once over. "We must wait for you to heal up a bit more. If I'm correct, we are going to be facing more resistance in the coming hours."

That's what she was worried about?

"The party for tonight should be starting by now," Kirumi informed them. "Showing up late is more than likely going to raise a few eyebrows."

In the worst case scenario, the mastermind would figure out that three of them were working together. Or at the very least start to suspect them.

"That can't be helped at this point." Kyoko dismissed the worry. "Now that their second assassin has failed, I'm sure they'll be shooting for more direct means."

More direct than an assassin?

Naruto looked ready to jump out of the bed again. "If it's me you're worried about, then don't be. My body is pretty resilient. Trust me."

Kirumi had to wonder if he was bold or just a plain idiot. Wait, no. She didn't have to think about it.

He was obviously both.

Kyoko was more open about her thoughts as she said, "I'm doing this for your benefit too. In your condition, you can't afford to be as careless as you were with that assassin."

Careless?

"What does that mean?"

Crossing her arms again, Kyoko replied, "You were in the perfect position to kill him, but you didn't do it. For that, you paid the price. Just look at the state you're in. This could have been easily avoided if you just killed him."

So that's what she was getting at.

"True, I'm not exactly happy with how things ended up," Naruto conceded. "But that doesn't mean I'm a cold-blooded killer either."

Kyoko openly frowned at this. "Do you know what you are saying right now? Killing him would have been-"

"Easy, yes." Naruto looked down at his right arm, which had suffered the most damage. "I heard you the first time. You're definitely right about that. I don't really want the easy path, though. I don't think that killing is something I have to resort to get where I'm going."

Kyoko had a simple response to this.

"You're a fool."

Second time! Second time she was calling him that!

Naruto still accepted it. "Yeah, you're probably right. You're not the first one to say that to me." Jiraiya and Itachi had already said the same thing to him, once upon a time. "But it's what I believe. Resorting to killing someone is almost the same as saying you've failed."

"Stupidity." Kyoko's voice wasn't laced with any malice, though. "In order to maintain the justice and order, there are people in this world that must die. Monsters. One way or another, they cannot be redeemed. What are you going to do then?"

Naruto sort of accepted that too. Which is why he answered, "Smile and force my way through it."

It wasn't that he would never kill. It was just something that he didn't think he _had_ to do. To stop the cycle of hatred, he had to take that other path. It was definitely difficult, but tt was the only way, wasn't it?

Unlike before, Kyoko wasn't so easily swayed by his words. Could he really bring himself to kill when the time called for it?

Kirumi, who had been quiet up to this point, studied Naruto for a moment. She recalled his answer to her earlier, about wanting peace.

"To achieve peace…..are you really prepared to do all that it takes, Uzumaki-sama?"

She really wanted to know.

It wasn't that simple of an answer, though. But in the end, Naruto did come up with one.

"If you sacrifice your ideals for the goal line…..then have you really gotten what you want?"

Kirumi accepted the answer in silence, but her eyes looked different now. It was just like before, and again Naruto did not know what she feeling she was trying to convey.

Kyoko on the other hand turned away from him. "You are definitely a fool."

But a fool she could not help but start to root for. She did not understand why. Wanting something as vague as peace was just a childish dream as far as she was concerned. It was something you grew out of. Once you saw the world for what it was, there was no way you could keep believing in something like peace.

Right?

She still found herself being drawn to that dream, though. It was the first time she was hearing something of this sort, and it had its appeal, as much as she would want to deny it.

Kyoko did have to wonder, though. When Naruto did decide to kill…..how would he look then? Remorseful? Indifferent?

'Trying to read you is difficult.'

He left himself vulnerable at times, but in other instances…..well, Kyoko was seeing that Naruto was able to hide his emotions better than he let on.

The trio would stay in the house for another hour or so. Then, after Naruto convinced them that he could move without _too_ much pain, they returned to the island once more.

The showdown with the true mastermind was finally at hand.

* * *

 **The first time I saw Kyoko's blushing sprite was pretty amazing, not gonna lie. Never expected something like that from her. GG, Kyoko. GG.**

 **Anyway, I wasn't expecting to update so quickly for a second time. But this chapter was the one I was looking forward to the most during this whole fiasco, so I couldn't resist. In the end, it still leaves things where they started (for the most part). But for how long? Although there were some answers given here. This was one of the first things I considered when writing this crossover. Should Naruto have chakra or not. I decided no in the end, as that would defeat a lot of the tension. Naruto also knows what chaos chakra would bring if it got out, and he doesn't want to risk that.**

 **There are more things to consider, things Naruto didn't ask. The most prudent being this: if Naruto does have kids, will they able to possess chakra? And if they can, would they somehow be able to unlock it and revert Ninshū to ninjutsu? If a certain despair loving goddess found out about this, I wonder what she would think….and do.**

 **The other important thing is Naruto's stance on killing. Someone made the mistake of believing that I was saying that Naruto would never kill. He threatened Gaara with it. It's obvious that he** _ **would**_ **kill. But after the whole Pain invasion mess, Naruto's character took a turn. He saw killing in a different light as he took on Jiraiya's dream (there were many other changes too, like his thoughts about fighting Sasuke and becoming Hokage). It was no longer something he was going to do unless forced to, as he saw it as just spreading the cycle of hatred. The thing is, we never saw under what circumstances he would kill under this new mindset. He wasn't going to kill Pain despite everything he did. Obito died of his own volition. Madara was practically murdered by Black Zetsu, and Kaguya was sealed away, not killed. This is where my gripe from before comes in. Naruto was never forced to confront the act of killing after his biggest character development, which disappointed me greatly.**

 **On a side note, it has been brought to my attention that Naruto did kill that Sand councilor during the Gaara rescue arc, a fact I had totally forgotten about. This doesn't really answer the question I had, though. Which is what I'm trying to expand on here. The issue hasn't been resolved yet. It will basically come down to what limits he's willing to be pushed to.**

 **Just _who_ will Naruto kill?**

 **I've rambled enough.**

 **That's all from me. Next update won't be as quick I'm sure, but I leave you with this.**

 **Till next time.**


	29. The Tragedy of the Akira

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Danganronpa.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28:  
** **The Tragedy of the Akira**

 _Akira Hayama._

 _What could the man say about himself that didn't sound self-centered? Because he wasn't trying to be. Honest. But there could be some embellishment here and there. Just normal bias that every human was guilty of at one point or another._

 _Or was that just him being bias already? Trying to excuse his own lies before he made them?_

 _Who knows._

 _Hayama has lived a long life. By most accounts, it was a fulfilling one. He had everything anyone could wish for and then some. His wealth didn't compare to that of the Togami family, but no one could match them no matter how hard they tried. And many people had tried. They all failed. That being said, outside of them, Hayama had no real competition when it came to wealth and power. Not as far as Japan was concerned._

 _He wasn't always this successful of course. He had started out in this world with very little._

 _Truth be told, he didn't remember much from his childhood. Maybe he repressed it? His parents were no exception when it came to this convenient amnesia. He had little memory of his parents before running away at the age of thirteen. He could only remember them fighting all the time. His father, screaming about their money problems. His mother, weeping in their bedroom as if the tears were going to wash away the nightmare she was in._

 _Had they loved him? Hayama couldn't say. They had provided for him, so he couldn't say they hated him. Not truly. But what Hayama did know was that he had made their lives miserable._

 _His parents had been a relatively happy couple when they first started out. They weren't overflowing with money, but they had enough to get by. It was only when Hayama entered the picture that things started going downhill._

 _Or so he remembered. Maybe that was just another lie on his part? Maybe he had just been a terrible kid, plain and simple, and trying to pin the blame on money was his way of shifting responsibility so that he didn't have to feel guilty?_

 _Who could say. Hayama didn't remember, after all._

 _But to Hayama, that was the tragedy of his parents. No, perhaps the tragedy of many couples so madly in love. They never stop to consider the consequences of their actions, such as bringing a new life into the world. No, they simply let themselves get swept up in the drug known as love, only to be shoved back into reality once it wore out. Maybe he was being a little tough on his parents. Despite their terrible choices, Hayama was still thankful to them._

 _He wouldn't be here without them._

 _But you see, this was one of the very first lessons Hayama had taken to heart in his life. Watching his parents wither away, as their love crumbled apart around them…..it was devastating._

 _That's why Hayama had made sure to not repeat his parents' mistake. That's why he turned to business. He worked hard to build something for himself. To have as much as possible, so that if he had kids one day he wouldn't turn out the same way as his parents._

 _He would give his children everything. No matter what it was. No matter how unreasonable. That would surely make things right. It's what love was all about, right?_

 _Hayama never did learn what became of his parents. He never sought them out. At first, it was because he couldn't. But after a few years, after landing work as a mere servant for several of the elite, with the occasional burglary here and there when times were really tough, he still didn't contact them. Even after he was able to land on his feet and get a place of his own, he never bothered to look back. Was it because he was scared? Or ashamed because he ran away? Hayama had never been able to answer that. He just knew that he could never face his parents again. That remained true to this day. Well, if they were even still alive._

 _You could call that one of the two regrets Hayama had in his life._

 _What's the other? Maybe he would speak about it later. But not now._

 _It was a tough road. The road to success was paved in sacrifices. In this world, you had to do many things you weren't particularly proud of in order to get ahead. In some ways, Hayama hated himself for some of the actions he had taken in the past. He was sure he had ruined several lives to get where he had. In order to be number one, you had to destroy others to make sure they didn't beat you._

 _He had crushed rival businesses. Torn families apart. Had them die over their own grief. Much like the memory of his parents, Hayama never did like to dwell on such things. It only pained him, but surely it was worth it._

 _Right?_

 _Or maybe that was just the talk of a weak willed man, who had given in to the ways of the world instead of trying to change things. Consolation perhaps, only aimed at himself. It was another thing Hayama wasn't sure of. At the very least, he could say he hadn't_ _ **enjoyed**_ _it. That was all too common in the world he was in. He had seen so many people take pleasure in ruining others._

 _Hayama had never sunk that low, so maybe there was still hope for him?_

 _Or perhaps it was just more consolation aimed at himself._

 _Hayama still tried to do as much good as possible. Now that he had the means of course. Now that he was here at the top. It probably wouldn't undo all the evil he'd done in the past, but it was a start._

 _That's why he had chosen his youngest son, Akira Hiroki, to be his main successor. His name, meaning large sparkle, had truly been fitting. Hayama saw something different in him from his other children. He knew his youngest shared the same spirit as him, albeit one that was even brighter. For he hadn't made the mistakes Hayama had. He hadn't been tainted by the world yet. This had made Hayama wonder sometimes._

 _If Hiroki had been in his shoes, would he have traveled down a similar path? Would he have compromised his principles to achieve success?_

 _But really, if you were willing to compromise, did you ever believe in those principles in the first place? If you claimed to be righteous but do not so righteous things all for the sake of your dream, were you ever 'virtuous'?_

 _Did the end justify the means? After all, Hayama had managed to help a lot of people with the wealth he had accumulated. Donated to many charities, even started some of his own! Created new jobs. Helped to promote new legislature that would help those struggling. If he had never attained his wealth, he never would have been in a position to do those things. Did all of that justify all the other lives he'd ruined to get to where he was today?_

 _Was compromising the right path after all?_

 _Once again, Hayama didn't have the answers. He just knew he couldn't regret any of it._

 _But still, all those mistakes didn't come close to his biggest blunder. It was directly tied to his second, and perhaps deeper, regret._

 _It was the true tragedy of the Akira. After all, it was the whole reason his youngest son had perished. For something so insignificant….no, he couldn't make that assertion. If he did, he would only be belittling everything he had done up to this point. Belittling his life. Regretting it. That was the one thing Hayama would never do. He would never turn his back on his life._

 _His pride wouldn't allow it._

 _How very shameful. And disgusting._

 _But that, along with his other mistakes, would probably be buried tonight. Hayama knew the end was near._

 _Was it his end? He couldn't say. Or maybe he just was turning a blind eye to it. Trying to remain cheerful even though he knew of the plot closing in around him. He had been doing a lot of that lately._

 _Yes, shutting his eyes and running away. What a most sensible solution! Ah, perhaps that's what he'd been doing all his life. Whenever something came up that he didn't like, he just shut his eyes and ran away from it. All the evil he caused, all the lives he ruined. His own parents. He never faced those facts head on, but merely tried to cover them up._

 _Surely that meant he wasn't virtuous, right?_

 _But who was going to judge him? Would Hayama even accept such judgement?_

 _Wait, no. That didn't matter. Not anymore. Just like his youngest son didn't matter anymore._

 _For the end was here. It was only a matter of_ _ **how**_ _._

* * *

"I feel like you are being too reckless about this."

"Yeah, so you and Kirumi have told me. Like a lot. I get the message you're trying to give me."

"Then listen to me-"

"I did. That's why I'm going."

Kyoko couldn't keep the frustration from showing, even if only a little. But she couldn't help it, for the blond before her was truly testing her patience.

Naruto didn't seem to care as he struggled to put his butler uniform back on. It was more difficult than before given his injuries. He could move more easily now, but his right arm was still very much suffering under the burns it sustained. He could move it, but it was painful to do so. He chose to ignore the pain, something Kyoko and Kirumi weren't thrilled about.

But Naruto wasn't budging from his decision. He was going to see this through to the end, especially now that Kyoko had filled him in. Not just about what she found, but her plan as well.

Naruto had to stop himself from snorting when he thought about it. If anyone was being reckless here, it was Kyoko and Kirumi.

"You've already taken enough risks at it is." Kyoko was still trying to dissuade him. The two of them were in the back of the mansion, standing by one of the less-traveled paths. Kirumi had already gone on ahead on her own, much to Naruto's displeasure.

If he was stubborn, so were they.

"Are you really worried about me?" If Naruto was trying to be playful, he would have shot the girl a small grin. But instead, he looked serious. "Or is it that you're worried I'll ruin your whole plan?"

If someone noticed he was injured, it would lead to a mountain of questions that would only cause problems for Kyoko and her plan.

Normally, Kyoko wouldn't care about such an assertion being made against her. It was just like she told Kirumi before. If people wanted to think of her as a cold person, then they were free to do so. Especially since in many ways they would be right.

But hearing it from Naruto made her frown. It just didn't sit well with her, seeing him think so low of her. She still didn't try to correct him, though.

"If that's what you think, then why not listen?"

"Because I'm not exactly thrilled about this plan of yours."

Naruto found a moment of triumph when he was able to get his burnt arm through the sleeve of the dress shirt. But then there was the damn vest and then the bow tie…..

Stupid uniform.

"What does that mean?" Kyoko was more concerned about his comment than his struggle with the uniform. "You were there when I said it. At the moment, we can only-"

"Kirumi volunteered to do it. That's why I didn't say anything against it."

"She can take care of herself."

Or so the young maid claimed. Naruto wasn't doubting her abilities, though.

"If what you said is true, you're sending her straight to the killer."

" _Possible_ killer."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. She's still in danger."

"We're all in danger," Kyoko stated, her voice hard. "Or did you forget what happened? You've already thwarted the mastermind's plan. Twice. The next move they make will be sure to be a big one."

Yeah, she had already said that.

"Look, I'm not changing my mind." Naruto finished putting on the vest and the bow tie as best he could. "I'm willing to go along with this for now, but I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing."

Naruto saw the girl clenched her fists.

"You're insufferable."

Yep, better get used to that.

"If that's what you want, then you're free to meddle as you like."

Oh?

As he adjusted his bow tie, Naruto smiled. "Thanks."

Kyoko really wanted to slap that smile away.

"Why do you even care to get involved anyway?" she asked him. "If what you told me is true, then you shouldn't care about what happens in this case."

Frowning, Naruto turned toward the mansion. He still thought it was such a waste of space. It really ruined the whole island for him. Which was kind of unfortunate, since the place was beautiful otherwise.

"The old man asked me to. That's why."

His answer didn't satisfy Kyoko. It just made her more baffled. "I don't understand. Why would that matter?"

"He's not a bad guy, Kyoko. I don't think he is. I want to help him."

"To the point that you're willing to throw your life away?"

"To be fair, I've only risked my life for _you_ so far," Naruto was more than happy to point that out.

It was dark, but Naruto still didn't miss the way the girl's cheeks colored a little. But whether it was from the embarrassment of being called out or something else, Naruto didn't know.

He didn't dwell on it and continued. "I don't know what your cases mean to you, but to the old man this is everything. It's his whole family. He's desperate, and I want to help him see that it's still not the end."

Kyoko was beginning to take notice of a very…..problematic trait in the boy. He said he wanted peace in the world. That's what he was willing to fight for. But at the same time, instead of thinking ahead to the future, thinking about his goal and how to achieve it, he tended to narrow his focus on the here and now. It didn't matter if it affected his bigger goal in the future.

That burnt arm of his was all the proof Kyoko needed. He had been willing to sacrifice himself for her. It would have meant the end of his ambition, but he had done it without hesitation.

This was the exact antithesis of how Kyoko acted. It was just detrimental to how she thought. She was always planning ahead, thinking of the future. She was willing to make sacrifices, of course, but ultimately it was for a bigger purpose.

Uzumaki Naruto was most certainly a fool.

But again, Kyoko couldn't condemn him. Not fully. It was the total opposite really. On the surface, she could criticize him as much as she wanted. But deep in her, she was finding herself admiring the boy more and more. She couldn't say she had met someone like him before.

'Is that why he chose him?'

Her father. Kyoko still had so many questions about that, but solving the case came first.

That said, she did want to share one thing with the boy before her plan was put into effect and they parted ways.

"Just so you know….I plan on attending Hope's Peak Academy."

Naruto, who had been ready to head inside the mansion, froze for a moment at Kyoko's admission. He stared at her, like he was studying her. His eyes seemed different from before. It was like they had become more...piercing, as if they were looking deep in her. It was definitely not something Kyoko would say she expected from the blond boy.

He wasn't just a goofy teenager, was he?

"Well, if that's your choice."

That was Naruto's response. Kyoko understood right away. Naruto knew what her motive was for going to Hope's Peak. Even without what he told her, Kyoko had already been planning on attending the school. It's why she made her detective work known, so that she could be scouted as the **Ultimate Detective** one day.

But before, Kyoko was only doing this so that she could formally end things with her father. To tell him off. To curse him for abandoning her.

Now…..where did she stand?

Kyoko really did not know the answer to that. And it sort of frightened her.

Naruto understood this too, which is why, as he walked past her, he placed a gentle hand on the girl's head.

"You know. There was a time I cursed my parents too. For abandoning me."

Naruto's voice was soft, and his words made Kyoko's heart beat faster. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, bur this didn't bother him.

"I was an orphan, you see. No family to speak of. I had no idea why I was left all alone. And at times, I cursed my parents for it. It felt like they had abandoned me. And for what? For a long time, I couldn't understand."

Kyoko didn't say anything.

"It wasn't until recently that I found out why." Naruto smiled, but it was a bitter one. "Even after I found out, it didn't change what I went through. But I knew it wasn't what they wanted either. They…..had a responsibility. One they couldn't ignore. You see, sometimes, things just don't go how you want them to. I don't hate my parents for what happened. I never have. I was just scared and alone."

That sounded all too familiar to the girl.

"I have no idea what your father did," Naruto said, "and like I said I don't plan on judging you if you do hate him. He might not even have a reason for it. But….you should still hear him out. Just in case he does. You might find that he suffered just as much as you did."

He left the girl with those words. Naruto didn't know what affect they had on Kyoko, as he didn't look back at her. He just faced the mansion, and the mission.

His body was in pain, but he was still ready for what was coming.

Now then. Time to be the best damn butler there was.

* * *

Kirumi had already known it was coming. Or, well, that _he_ was coming. Kyoko's plan wouldn't have worked otherwise. And Kirumi's reason for returning to the mansion by herself would have been for nothing.

The second night of partying was well underway in the first floor of the mansion. How they could still eat and drink so much was unknown to Kirumi, but those thoughts left her mind as she was practically dragged back to the dining hall on the second floor by none other than Hasashi.

Kirumi noticed Sae's eyes on her from the first floor as she and Hasashi climbed the stairs to the second floor, but Kirumi simply gave her fellow maid a reassuring nod.

She was going to be alright.

Hasashi was on the verge of exploding as they finally reached the dining hall. He didn't care how much noise he made as he pushed open the doors. The noise downstairs was sure to drown it out anyway.

"You really have a lot of explaining to do, Kirumi."

The young girl didn't flinch, even as she was shoved inside. She probably wouldn't have tolerated this treatment under normal circumstances, but she bore with it.

"Do you wish for my services?" Kirumi kept her voice calm. There was no hint of the anger she might be feeling underneath her normal mask.

With his patience already tested, Hasashi glowered.

"Where have you been all day?"

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Kirumi gave a slight bow. "My apologies. I simply had to run some errands for Akira-sama today. This took longer than I expected, and I only arrived a few minutes ago."

Kirumi knew it wasn't a good bluff, all things considered. However, she liked to think she knew Hasashi well enough to guess that he wouldn't have checked with Hayama about her whereabouts. He didn't show it, but Hasashi knew just how much of a scandal it would be if his feelings toward her were known. Hayama especially would never approve of such an affair.

Not that one was happening mind you, but that was beside the point. It's why Hasashi always made sure to never act like he cared about her in public, or even when around his father.

Unaware of her thoughts, Hasashi pressed her with his next question.

"Oh? And was that stupid looking butler with you?"

Stupid looking-what?

Kirumi's face remained stoic. "If you mean the new employee hired by Akira-sama, then yes. He came with me. It was a good opportunity for him to learn, as he is still new to this field."

Not a total lie.

Her reasoning didn't do much in quelling Hasashi's anger.

"I don't care what your reasons are. You are to stay away from him. Got it?"

It was an unreasonable request, wasn't it? Truth be told, Kirumi wasn't all that shocked to see the man asking something like that of her. No, no. _Asking_ was too kind of a term. More like _demanding_. Her personal feelings didn't matter to the man. He didn't see her as an equal at all, which wasn't technically wrong of him as she was but a maid. It still didn't sit right with Kirumi.

Not anymore.

Anyway, it wasn't hard for her to see that Hasashi was the jealous type. To an unreasonable degree.

Or maybe, she could just call him possessive? It looped back around to him wanting her to be his personal maid. Just the thought of it was distasteful to the girl. A first for her. As a professional maid, she was trained to serve under anyone. It didn't matter who it was. But after her talk with Naruto, she realized that she could have more freedom in her life. She wouldn't feel guilty about not wanting to serve this man.

"I'm afraid I cannot honor that request."

Once more, Kirumi didn't let her emotions get the better of her. Her voice was still neutral, totally calm. She still behaved like this was but a simple business exchange. Like there was no personal relationship between them, friendly or otherwise.

It did not sit well with Hasashi.

"What did you say?" He moved closer to her. "Are you defying a command from your master?"

"You are not-"

"I am tired of that little excuse of yours." He grabbed her by the wrist. "Once I've been named as the main heir to the Akira, you'll understand why going against me isn't such a good idea."

Disappointment. That's all Hasashi saw in Kirumi's eyes. Right away, he could tell. The girl was judging him.

This…..had never happened before. Without realizing it, Hasashi let go of her wrist and backed away. He didn't know why. He was just so stunned to see something like that from her that his feet moved on their own.

Kirumi was just thankful for the space between them.

"You are very certain of that, are you?"

Trying to get his thoughts in order, Hasashi started to fiddle with the buttons on his suit. "But of course. Who else is there? My so-called sisters only care about fashion and partying. They have no eye for business."

"Neither did your younger brother, but he was said to be Akira-sama's favorite."

Kirumi's words definitely stung Hasashi deep. For the first time since she met him, Kirumi saw vulnerability in the man's eyes. It was as if there was a different person inside, hiding behind all the narcissism and greed. Someone who just wanted to prove themselves to the world.

"My father already made that mistake once." The vulnerability was soon gone, and Hasashi returned to his usual self. "Because of his blunder, he lost a son. He can't let that happen again."

What exactly was Kirumi supposed to say to that? There were many ways she could interpret Hasashi's words, none of which were favorable to the man.

"So it's true then." It was Kirumi who stepped closer to the man this time, acting like a lioness on the hunt. "You were the one who killed your brother."

Was she just bluffing again?

At the very least, Hasashi didn't take her seriously. "Really? Are you going to start spouting that nonsense too? Like that so-called detective? Don't tell me you started believing her. I'm hurt. You know I could never hurt my own family."

Except Kyoko didn't know who the culprit really was. Despite knowing who hired that assassin, she wasn't convinced the case would end there.

That's why Kirumi was here. To find any new perspective, starting with Hasashi.

Why him? Well. The answer was obvious.

Kirumi's silence was starting to get to the man. His eyes turned cold.

"Are you trying to turn your back on me as well, Kirumi?"

As well? Was there some meaning there that she didn't understand?

But before Kirumi could respond, the whole room went dark.

And that's when everything really started to get out of control.

* * *

Kyoko didn't know what she was looking for. Hell, she didn't even know if she was right to still to keep the investigation open. After all, she already knew who had hired that second assassin.

Case closed, right? Obviously the person responsible for that was the one who hired the first assassin and subsequently had Hayama's son murdered.

Except no. Kyoko wasn't convinced of that. It was just….a feeling she had. And she always made sure to trust her instincts.

It just didn't make any sense to her. Why, after being so careful for months, would the mastermind leave themselves exposed so easily like that? Desperation, perhaps, but that still didn't sit right with Kyoko. She never underestimated anybody, no matter who they were. Every possibility was to remain open until she had absolute evidence that said otherwise.

'I must have missed something.'

That's all Kyoko could think as she searched Hayama's office. She did her best to put her conversation with Naruto to the side for now. But it was hard, especially when she herself didn't know what she was looking for.

Thankfully sneaking in here had been easier than she expected. Everyone was too busy partying downstairs to take notice of her. It was the perfect cover.

She searched every nook and cranny of the office. Looked through every file on the desk and anything that caught her eye on the massive bookcase. There were many different business transactions just left in the open. Hayama still preferred to use paper copies it seemed. It did make Kyoko's job easier.

Unfortunately, there was nothing in them that helped her. But what was she expecting to find? The mastermind had used the family's joint account for the first assassin. Tracking that would be impossible-

'Wait a moment.'

Kyoko's mind suddenly stopped. She recalled a question she had asked Kirumi on their way over here, during their boat ride. Kyoko had only asked it because she had been frustrated with her lack of conclusive results and hadn't thought much of it. If there was any other benefit to asking it, it was to confirm that Kirumi really was on their side. That was the only justification Kyoko could come up with.

The question had been simple but straightforward.

" _Do only Hayama and the other three have access to that joint account?"_

That had been Kyoko's question. In the beginning, Kyoko had suspected that maybe a third party could have hijacked it in order to frame the family. It made sense, right? At least it was a better alternative than being killed by a relative. But no such luck. Even Hayama had explained to her that only he and his children could use that account and no one else had access to it.

There were no signs it had been hacked either, so Kyoko had no choice but to let the matter drop.

But as Kirumi had told her, _"Typically, yes. However, there are times when I've been given access to that account. For important occasions where I have to act more independently. Like for the band for the party. I made sure to book them using that account. Among other things."_

There was something there.

If Kyoko considered this new angle, then what Hayama said to her on the previous night, about possible suspects…..

'Could this be it?'

It took her a few moments, but Kyoko was able to put several factors together.

'It must be. It's what I first considered many months ago.'

However, Kyoko hadn't been able to find any leads concerning that theory. She had looked everywhere, but there was nothing. So she had dismissed it, along with the third party interference. But now, with a possible suspect in mind, she could be more thorough with her search.

'Is that what I missed?'

Kyoko couldn't deny the adrenaline rush her mind was in as she went to look through the employee list one more time. It was last minute, but if what she was thinking was true, then all she needed was the name. After that, it was all about springing the trap.

But just as as she managed to find the name she was looking for, the lights went out in the office.

And the door was burst open.

* * *

To be bored and stressed at the same time…..what a combination.

Naruto didn't very much care for it.

There was nothing he could do about it, though, as he found himself mingling with the party guests.

Was this really a party, though? All Naruto saw was people talking about boring stuff. Come to think of it, hadn't Fuyuhiko's party been really similar to this?

'At least then I didn't have to hear any of this.'

There was one man, some kind of fashion designer apparently, going off about the latest clothing line he was planning to release during the fall.

Or something along those lines. Honestly, Naruto sort of tuned him out after the first minute or so.

Not Hayama, though. The man listened intently and even offered some suggestions here and there.

Maybe they were business partners?

Speaking of the man, he hadn't batted an eye when Naruto showed up. The blond could tell Hayama was curious about his absence all day, but he didn't bring it up. He just continued talking with the people around him.

Naruto wasn't interested in these talks, however. Nor was he intending to keep bringing the people here snacks and drinks whenever they asked.

Side note, carrying a tray full of drinks when your arm was badly burnt wasn't a pleasant experience. That's where the "stressed" part was coming from.

No, Naruto was more concerned about getting some one-on-one time with Yozuru or Uzumi. It didn't matter which, but a quick scan of the room told Naruto that neither was here.

That couldn't be good.

But then he was proven wrong when his sleeve was tugged. Looking back, he saw Yozuru pulling him away from Hayama and his click and to one of the corners of the room where she had a small table all setup with her own drinks and everything.

He just had to refill them, as the good butler that he was.

So that's where he was now, still bored as he continued to refill the woman's glass every time she drank it all. And boy did she drink. The more she drank, the more incoherent she became.

Naruto was sure this wasn't healthy.

"You've been drinking a lot tonight."

Yozuru, who had been in the midst of recounting the time she bought a restaurant after the manager had gotten on her nerves, stopped for a moment to grunt. Or was it a snort?

Hard to tell with all the noise.

"Don't say that, butler-kun. I'm a natural drinker! You should have seen how many bottles I drank earlier today!"

Ah, at the "fishing" trip on the yacht.

It only proved Naruto right. "Then maybe you should slow down? Can't have you passing out."

"Afraid to be near an older woman who's drunk? Don't worry. I don't bite."

What?

"You're too kind, butler-kun." Yozuru was already speaking again. "Most people wouldn't bother to take advantage of the situation to get some juicy information outta me. Or maybe more…."

Maybe more? What?

Naruto didn't dwell on that. "Is that why you pulled me over here? To test me?"

He _was_ new, after all. It would make sense if she was trying to see if he was up to anything bad.

Not that he wasn't, per se, but that was beside the point.

This time, Yozuru did snort. "Of course not. I did it cause I'm tired of hearing the same old crap from all these crappy people, and you're good looking. What other reason do I need?"

That…..was not what Naruto had been expecting to hear.

He sort of appreciated the compliment, though.

"You got that rough look to you." Her eyes twinkled for a moment. "That interests me."

Was this one of those scenarios where the cultured woman was attracted to the seemingly "bad boy"?

"Are you in college yet?" She giggled. "I myself only graduated two years ago. So you can't say you've flirted with a college girl. Tough."

Was this really flirting?

Again, Naruto didn't bother to think about it too hard. At least she wasn't tripping over her words.

"Oh, but wait. I shouldn't be saying stuff like that, right? Gotta be proper and whatnot." She sounded bitter now. "But no one's even looking at me! So what would it matter, right? I'm not as important as my older siblings. You think so too, right butler-kun?"

"You're free to act as you like," Naruto replied as he started to refill her glass. "It's a basic freedom I think."

"Then you'd be totally wrong about that!" Yozuru looked down, the drink in her hand all but forgotten. "It's always about the social status around here. People are always trying to put on an act. Even my siblings are like that! Do you know Uzumi? She's always dragging me along with her! I can't stand it."

Hmm.

"Well, I suppose it's different for her." Leaning back in her chair, Yozuru let out a smile that seemed to come off as resenting or bitter, not joyful in the slightest. Her eyes further proved this. "She and my brother are the older ones you see. To them, preserving the legacy of our family name is everything. That's why they're so eager to become the heirs. They think they can continue where father left off."

"They seem more concern with partying than running a business," Naruto commented, sounding laid-back.

"Do they?"

Naruto would have shrugged, but he chose not to.

"Well, they had all but given up really. Did you know? Our youngest brother was going to be announced as the heir during this party. Before he was killed."

She didn't sound very remorseful about that fact. Just. Detached. Uncaring.

Alcohol had a way of bringing out a person's true feelings.

"He was father's favorite. Very different from Uzumi and Hasashi."

"But not from you?"

Yozuru laughed. "I consider myself different too, from them I mean. But not in the same light as my younger brother. I guess I'm just a different kind of disappointment."

Disappointment?

"That's how father sees us anyway. He thinks we don't notice it, but we do." Yozuru glanced to her drink. "Hasashi especially takes it to heart. He's always wanted to be father's favorite. To earn his approval, but he's never gotten it. I wonder whose fault that is."

What did she mean?

"Tell me, butler-kun. If a shark is raised to be a shark, is it really his fault for being one? Or should he try to be something else?"

Oh.

"You're saying your father is to blame for how your siblings are?"

Is that what she was getting at?

"Maybe." She started to giggle again. "I don't know. Maybe I'm really drunk. Especially since I'm talking to _you_ about all this. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Naruto didn't need to make such a promise.

"Is that why you're all partying?" His eyes went over to Hayama who was in the midst of another conversation. "You don't care that your brother died?"

"You would think that, right?" Yozuru finally took another sip from her drink. She didn't drink it all down in one go like before, though, instead choosing to savor the taste. "But you know, butler-kun, there are different reasons for why people drink. It isn't always out of celebration. Guilt is another reason."

Once again, it was hard for Naruto to decide in what manner he should react to what he was hearing.

Was she trying to say that she felt guilty? Naruto could only think of one reason as to why she would feel that way. But then that would mean…..

'Was Kyoko wrong then?'

As Naruto thought this, chaos descended on the party.

All the lights went off without warning, which wasn't bad enough on its own as the party guests were sensible enough to remain calm up to that point.

But when the main doors of the mansion were kicked open and the bullets came, terror spread.

Yozuru didn't scream, however. No. Out of the corner of his eyes, Naruto saw her smiling. It wasn't the smile of a happy person, or of someone who got what they wanted.

It was just a lonely smile.

* * *

The dark didn't scare Kyoko.

Sure, the sudden blackout caught her off guard. As it would anyone else. But she had been in worse situations before. Plus, it wasn't _completely_ dark. The moonlight was able to seep through the windows, however faint it might be. She was more vexed than anything else about this turn of events, as now she wouldn't be able to read the employee file.

That said, she did admit to feeling surprised when she saw that it was Uzumi who stood in the doorway of the office. Hasashi had been a more likely suspect in her mind.

"You have no business being here." The spite was clear in Uzumi's voice, but Kyoko didn't react to it. The girl already knew Uzumi didn't like her.

"I'm on official business." Kyoko responded in the same manner as always. But while she remained calm and collected on the outside, inside she was already questioning many things.

"This is father's office." Uzumi stomped inside the office and got in between Kyoko and the desk where all the files were. "I don't care if you are a detective. You don't have any right to trespass."

Kyoko didn't answer. There was no reason to argue over something so petty. If she needed permission, then it was only a matter of asking Hayama about it.

Deep down, Uzumi knew this too. Her act was just that. An act.

And knowing this only pissed her off more.

"You really do think you know everything, don't you? Always so sure of yourself."

Crossing her arms, Kyoko made to walk out of the office without another word. However, at that moment, she heard the sound of gunfire. And it was coming from downstairs.

Kyoko was now on full alert, but unlike her Uzumi didn't react to the noise.

This only confirmed Kyoko's fears, and the new theory she had started to create.

Well, that theory was now about to become a reality it seemed.

"It was never supposed to be like this." Right away, Kyoko noticed _something_ in the woman's hands. "You were already supposed to have died. Why didn't you just die? Because of you, it had to come to this."

Kyoko schooled her futures as Uzumi pointed the knife at her.

"I never wanted to do this, but I guess it can't be helped now." Uzumi's eyes flashed with anger. "You won't be leaving this island alive. I won't let you ruin my brother's sacrifice."

So it was like that, huh.

The next move had been made, and it was as direct as Kyoko had guessed it would be.

But there was no turning back now. The curtain was about to fall on the Akira family.

* * *

 **So there was a wave of Guest reviews recently. Lots of specific requests were made. Like,** _ **very**_ **specific. Very interesting. Don't know if the same person made them or not. But...interesting nonetheless.**

 **Some stuff was skipped for the suspense. But all the relevant information has been revealed, except for the motive…..sorta. So the investigative work isn't done yet. Hope Kyoko can figure that out and not get stabbed.**

 **Who's the real culprit?  
**

 **I'm hesitant to say this given my track record, but the next chapter is the last of this arc…? Maybe?**

 **Let's hope.**

 **Not much else to say. Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Till next time.**


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